Fabrizio Romano has revealed why Liverpool failed to sign Khephren Thuram this summer, after months of speculation that he could join the Reds.
Jurgen Klopp has already added midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to his ranks for a combined £95 million this summer.
However, the German boss in dire need of further reinforcements following the departures of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner.
Meanwhile, midfield pairing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have also packed their bags for the Saudi Pro League, joining Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad respectively.
Nice midfielder Thuram was heavily linked with a move to Anfield earlier in the transfer window, however Liverpool stuck a pin in their pursuit of the 22-year-old to focus on other targets.Initially, it was thought that their decision to look elsewhere was due to the Premier League's strict homegrown rules which mean a club must register a minimum of eight homegrown players in their first team squad for the 2023/24 season.
However, transfer expert Romano has since confirmed that Liverpool put an end to their interest purely because he was too expensive.
Speaking on the Born and Red podcast, the Italian journalist revealed that finances were a major stumbling block in Liverpool’s bid to sign the France international, with Nice’s demands as well as Thuram’s proving too much for the Anfield side.Romano said: “The main problem with Thuram was that the package was considered too expensive for Liverpool, both in terms of a transfer fee and salary," said Romano.
"There were many things that concerned Liverpool when they had discussions for Thuram.”
Liverpool have since turned their attention to Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, having seen two bids for the 19-year-old rejected already, as Saints hold out for £50 million. Liverpool, meanwhile, appear to be unwilling to meet their asking price.
Fluminese midfielder Andre is reportedly seen as another option, with Klopp scrambling for alternatives in the transfer market before their opening game of the Premier League season against Chelsea on Saturday.
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