Newcastle United have identified OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram as a potential January transfer target. 

The Lowdown: Thuram's career so far

After working his way through the youth ranks at AS Monaco, the midfielder joined Nice back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 21-year-old has gone on to make 114 appearances for the French club across all competitions, scoring six goals and delivering seven assists along the way.

With the January window close to opening, the Frenchman has found himself on Newcastle's transfer radar after an impressive start to the campaign which has seen him play in every single Ligue 1 game so far.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Thuram

In a recent Twitter post, journalist Craig Hope revealed that the Tyneside club have Thuram as one of their potential January transfer targets.

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Jonjo Shelvey's future is now in doubt due to his latest injury setback - impacting his ability to trigger the one-year extension in his contract - and the Magpies are 'looking' at midfielders with Thuram 'on (the) radar'.

The Verdict: A risk PIF should take?

This season has seen the midfielder, who has been described as a "diamond" for his mixture of physical traits and elegant ball-playing abilities by European football expert Antonio Mango, show how much of a capable he player he is in and out of possession.

For example, as well as having the second-highest number of progressive passes (42) at Nice, Thuram also has the fourth-highest number of shot-creating actions (23) at the club.

Then from a defensive point of view, the 6 foot 4 Frenchman, who Mango has also described as "staggering" for his size and strength, has the fifth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (35) as well as the fourth-highest number of recoveries (57).

Taking all of this into account, Thuram certainly has the talent to be a useful midfield addition to Eddie Howe's squad.

His young age means it could be a risk to throw him straight into a Champions League race, but given he is already shining in a top European division, we feel it is a risk worth taking.