Sunderland interest in Khéphren Thuram played down amid £35.1m Juventus link | OneFootball

Sunderland’s link to Juventus midfielder Khéphren Thuram has been played down, with Sky Sports reporting he is not on the club’s radar and that central midfield is not a current priority. Sky Sports also said there has been no contact with Juventus and that the France international has three years left on his deal.

Calciomercato reports that Sunderland and Nottingham Forest asked for information on Thuram, and that Juventus could listen to offers, valuing him at €35m-€40m, around £30.7m-£35.1m. The outlet added a sale at that level could generate €23m-€28m in capital gains, roughly £20.2m-£24.6m.

The same report said Juventus aim to raise about €100m in capital gains by 30 June 2027, that manager Luciano Spalletti would prefer to keep Thuram, and that Teun Koopmeiners could be sacrificed, though he is attracting less interest.

Even so, the stance is a little surprising. Granit Xhaka is central to Sunderland’s midfield and European football will add to the workload, so extra cover around him would appear sensible in Régis Le Bris’ system.

At £30m-plus, with a long Juventus contract and rival interest, Thuram always looked an ambitious link rather than a realistic pursuit. The drivers behind such stories can be varied during a transfer window.

For now, attention appears to be elsewhere, though the broader question of midfield depth is likely to linger as the summer unfolds.

Source: Sunderland Echo