Top Liverpool transfer target now 'shadow of his former self' after rejecting Anfield move

A Liverpool transfer target who rejected a summer move to Anfield has been described as a "shadow of his former self."

Last summer Liverpool conducted an overhaul of their midfield department, with four new stars coming in and several leaving.

Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch were brought in for a combined outlay of over £140 million, and have helped propel Jurgen Klopp's side to the top of the Premier League table.

There were a number of targets that Liverpool weren't able to bring in, including Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.

Both have struggled since deciding to join Chelsea instead, and it's a similar story with another famous name.

Kephren Thuram, brother of Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram and son of France legend Lilian Thuram, was heavily linked with Liverpool last summer.

However, after a move failed to materialise, the Nice midfielder revealed that he decided he wanted to stay at the Ligue 1 club.

"Regarding what happened in the transfer window, I decided to stay," he said in November.

"I wanted to continue to progress at Nice, and progress as a player at this club.

"Honestly, it made me happy to be linked to all these clubs left, right and center. It shows I’m doing the right things but as I said, I knew I wanted to stay here."

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However, since making that decision Thuram has struggled for form at Nice.

As explained by journalist Luke Entwistle for Get French Football News and The Guardian, Thuram has struggled to adapt to the tactical system of manager Francesco Farioli.

The Italian coach replaced Didier Digard in the dugout last summer, and has implemented a defensive approach that hasn't suited the box-to-box midfielder.

Entwistle wrote: "Often found lurking in the block shadow in recent games, Thuram is a shadow of his former self."

Nice captain Dante has also noticed the 22-year-old's struggles.

"We’ve got used to him playing great matches that when he is a step below, we see it," the former Bayern Munich defender said.

Thuram has slipped down the pecking order in the French national team as a result, meaning his place in Didier Deschamps' squad for the upcoming European Championships is under threat.

Topics: Nice, Ligue 1, France, Liverpool, Liverpool Transfer News & Rumours

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton