Borussia Monchengladbach will find it hard to keep hold of rumoured Aston Villa target Marcus Thuram, according to assistant manager Oliver Neuville.
The Lowdown: Villa keen on Thuram signing
The 25-year-old is currently on 2022 World Cup duty with France, as he looks to help the world champions retain their crown in Qatar.
Away from international commitments, Thuram has been linked with a move to Villa, with Unai Emery eyeing him up as a potential new signing.
The forward has scored 10 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season and his current Monchengladbach deal expires at the end of the current campaign.
The Latest: Hard to keep hold of him
Speaking to Radio Sportiva [via Sport Witness], coach Neuville admitted that the German side are going to struggle to keep Thuram, amid much interest in him:
"He’s having a great season, he scored a lot of goals. It’s clear that last year he may have been injured a lot, but he still has a contract until the end of the season.
"I think it will be difficult for him to stay at Gladbach because if he continues to score so many goals it is certain that he will have many offers in Italy or Spain or England.
"You also have to be a bit realistic. I hope he stays here at Monchengladbach, but now he has also been called up by the French national team for the World Cup. It will be difficult for him to extend his contract, I hope so, but the chances are slim."
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-updates-copy-2/" title="Aston Villa latest updates! (Copy)" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Verdict: Will Villa have the pull?
Thuram could be a potent attacking signing for Villa as his goalscoring ability for Monchengladbach is undeniable, with 41 goals coming his way for them, taking his senior tally to 59.
Whether or not the Villans have the pull to lure him to the club is debatable, however, with the France international potentially keen on playing in Europe, with the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham also linked with a move.
Emery's reputation as an elite coach who has won four Europa League titles could certainly help, though, and Thuram has the ability to take Villa to another level, being hailed as 'phenomenal' by Denis Zakaria.