Commentator claims Liverpool were interested in Bundesliga forward in the summer | OneFootball

Movistar commentator Alain Valnegri has claimed that Liverpool were interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram in the summer.

Valnegri says that Liverpool sounded Thuram out in the summer, although they did not firm up their interest in him as he remained a Gladbach player beyond the deadline.

Liverpool ended up signing Diogo Jota from Wolves for £41m and the Portuguese winger has scored three goals already for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Speaking to El Pais, as transcribed by the Liverpool Echo, Valnegri reported on Liverpool’s interest in Thuram. “For me, Marcus is destined for a top club. He was already sounded out by Liverpool this summer.

“He has skill, he shoots, he’s a huge power, he’s a dribbler, and he moves well in tight spaces.

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“He’s always been a left-winger, but in Germany, he’s started to get behind the front, and coming up from the second line he is very dangerous.”

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Thuram and Jota both play in similar areas of the pitch and are both 23, so it could be that Liverpool opted to sign Jota instead of going for Thuram – rather than the Reds planning another swoop for Thuram in January. Jota scored seven and assisted one in 34 Premier League appearances for Wolves, whilst Thuram – on the other hand – produced 10 goals and eight assists in 31 Bundesliga games. This suggests that Thuram actually had a better season than Jota, with more goals and more assists in fewer appearances.

Jota, though, had Premier League experience to back up his quality. The Portuguese international had just completed two full seasons in the English top-flight with Wolves, along with one in the Championship, so was already a proven quantity in the league. This means that he could have been a less risky signing for Liverpool than Thuram, as the Frenchman has only ever played in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga so far in his career.

Liverpool may keep a keen eye on Thuram’s progress this season and reassess their options next summer. If a few other players leave Anfield then a spot could open up for Thuram to come in alongside Jota, but the forward may need to have another strong season in front of goal in order for that to happen.