da mrbet： The Nice youngster has a famous surname, but he more than lives up to it, so much that PSG and Newcastle are also keen on him

da bwin： It’s fair to say that when it comes to top-level footballers, the Thuram family is as well-stocked as any. Father Lilian, of course, was a World Cup winner with France, and a brilliant defender who represented Monaco, Parma, Juventus and Barcelona with distinction. Eldest son Marcus, meanwhile, is a forward of some note, good enough to play in a World Cup final himself last December, and tipped to play for one of Europe’s big boys when he leaves Borussia Moenchengladbach this summer.

And then there’s the youngest boy, the third of the golden trio. The one named after a pharaoh, who grew up around his dad’s mates, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, and who is quietly establishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising and in-demand midfield players.

And with several clubs circling, this looks like it could be a big summer indeed for Khephren Thuram…

Where it all began

He may only be 22, but Thuram has already seen plenty of the world. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy, while his father was playing in Serie A for Parma. Later, he lived in Turin and Barcelona, before the family returned to France once Lilian had finished his career.

Both Marcus and Khephren, who are separated by three years, were educated in Paris at an American school – hence their perfect English – and both trod the same footballing path. Both played for the same junior club, Olympique de Neuilly, and both eventually graduated to the youth ranks at AC Boulogne-Billancourt, a club located in the Parisian suburbs which is famous for producing Olympians and world champions in cycling, swimming and various other sports.

Marcus left Boulogne for Sochaux in 2012, while Khephren chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and join Monaco four years later, aged 15.

AdvertisementThe big break

It didn’t take long for Thuram to make his mark at Monaco. Having impressed at youth level, he was handed his professional debut, aged 17, in a Champions League game away to Atletico Madrid in November 2018. He played half an hour as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat, in a team which included the likes of Radamel Falcao, Youri Tielemans and Benoit Badiashile.

There would be two more further sub appearances that season, against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and at Guingamp in the French League Cup, but his most eye-catching moment came in the UEFA Youth League when he scored a fantastic long-range strike against a Chelsea side which featured the likes of Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Guehi.

Unsurprisingly, he was soon being linked with top clubs – Chelsea included – but to many people’s surprise, he chose to join Nice in the summer of 2019, and in August of that year he made his Ligue 1 debut against Nimes, the first of 16 competitive appearances that season.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Thuram settled in well at Nice, following up a solid first campaign with an even better second one, as he made 33 appearances in all competitions and earned his first call-up to the French Under-21 squad.

The following season, 2021-22, he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award and was nominated as one of the best prospects in Ligue 1 at the Trophees UNFP awards, France’s version of the PFA awards.

In the season just gone, Thuram has continued his progress. He played 47 times for Nice, and in March made his senior international debut for France, appearing as a late substitute in their European Championship qualifying win over the Netherlands.

Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

The first thing that stands out about Thuram is his size. At 6'4, he is a midfielder of considerable physical presence, and one who as a result is extremely strong in one-v-one duels.

Style-wise, he is something of an all-rounder, though he shows up better in the defensive metrics – blocks, tackles, interceptions – than in the offensive ones – chances created, shots. He is known as a player who can both win the ball and use it, and who is particularly good at pressing,.

Didier Digard, Thuram’s coach at Nice, is a huge fan, in particular emphasising the youngster’s mindset and mentality. "Khephren's fantastic," Digard told earlier this year. "He is very hardworking, very attentive. On rest days he's at the training centre. He recovers quickly for back-to-back matches and completes high-intensity training.

“He listens and applies himself. He has room for improvement and he's in demand. He simply eats up video analysis, additional sessions. He also advises others, because he takes on a leadership role. He's also discovering himself as a person.”

Not surprisingly given his family background, Thuram appears to possess an inner confidence which convinces of his desire and ability to reach the top level. His school in Paris, he says, taught him “not to be scared of being good,” and the competitive nature of his upbringing means there is no fear of taking on new challenges.