Man United now favorites to sign €40m midfield maestro, could be Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first summer signing

Man United now favorites to sign €40m midfield maestro, could be Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first summer signing.

Manchester United have their sights on landing Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram amid interest from Juventus and Inter Milan, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Red Devils are likely to reinforce their midfield department during the summer transfer window with the prospect of Casemiro, Sofyan Amrabat and Christian Eriksen heading for the exit door.

TuttoMercatoWeb claim that Thuram is on the radar of Serie A duo Juventus and Inter, but United ‘could easily surpass’ the competition to bring him to Old Trafford.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to take control of the footballing operations at the club, is aiming to invest big on signings and Thuram would be one of the top targets.

Nice are reportedly willing to part ways with the Frenchman for €40 million.

Ratcliffe could bring Thuram to Man Utd as first summer signing
Thuram started off his career at Nice as a defensive midfielder, but he has operated from a left central midfield role over the past couple of seasons for the Ligue 1 outfit.

The 22-year-old has caught the eye with his tireless work rate, quality distribution and recovery pace. He has a passing accuracy of 88 per cent this term with 4.7 ball recoveries.

The Frenchman has also won 50 per cent of his duels and 66 per cent of his take-ons at Nice. He is not someone known for his creativity, but would a valuable signing nonetheless.

Thuram can play in both the defensive and central midfield positions. His ball control is his main strength and he could form a good partnership with Kobbie Mainoo going forward.

If he were to arrive, Mason Mount could be seen as a direct competitor to Bruno Fernandes for the number 10 role. The former Chelsea man is most comfortable from that position.

Ratcliffe’s presence should benefit United in signing Thuram. He is currently the owner of Nice and a deal could be straightforward between the clubs, provided the asking price is met