According to German publication BILD, Borussia Monchengladbach are willing to sell Spurs target Marcus Thuram for a cut-price fee in January, to avoid losing him on a free transfer in the summer.
The report states that Thuram will be available for the bargain fee of £8.7 million, which has attracted the interest of Spurs, as well as Premier League, rivals Arsenal and Liverpool – via 90min
Marcus, son of French legend Lilian Thuram, has been one of the most in-form forwards across Europe this season – contributing to 17 goals in 17 games.
The underlying stats (provided from FB Ref) also paint a good picture for any potential move. Thuram is clinical in the final third with the Frenchman ranking in the top 2% of forwards (across Europe’s top five leagues) for shots on target (1.68) per game.
When it comes down to ranking forwards in the modern game, xG has become one of the main tools to measure a player’s ability in the attacking third. In terms of Non-Penalty xG Thuram ranks in the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues – ranking above elite forwards such as Karim Benzema and Tottenham’s own, Harry Kane.
Spurs fans, would you sign Marcus Thuram? |
Any player in an Antonio Conte system must be hard-working and Thuram is no stranger to grafting for his team – with the forward ranking in the top 11% of forwards for interceptions per game.
At the height of 6ft 2, Thuram is a strong and powerful forward which will fit the trend of Conte’s side, with Spurs currently having the title of the tallest team in the league – according to The Athletic.
All these factors surely make it no brainer for the Spurs hierarchy, with the club needing to make squad improvements in January, if the Lilywhites have any chance of succeeding come the end of the season.