If you haven’t noticed by now, we have officially entered into Contract Extension Season at Juventus. Some of the most notable and important ones for varying reasons have already happened, but others ones look to be either reportedly at advanced stages or at least at the point where we can say that talks are happening.
It looks as though we can add another name to the list.
According to Italian transfer reporter Nicolo Schira over the weekend, Juventus are set to open talks with midfielder Khephren
Thuram amid rumored interest that several Premier League clubs are circling with interest in signing him this coming summer. Juventus, according to Shcira, would like to sign Thuram, who currently earns a reported €2.2 million net per season, to a contract that will run through 2030 just like the ones that Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie recently signed and that Manuel Locatelli is reportedly in talks to do the same. That would come, as you might expect, with a pay raise to help fend off any temptations to jump at the chance to join a Premier League club, although we don’t know how much said raise might actually be. Although, if it’s anything like McKennie and his renewal last week, then it would likely push Thuram’s annual salary into the €3 million-plus range.
TuttoJuve’s Mirko Di Natale also reported Sunday that Thuram, who signed with Juventus two summers ago on a club-friendly €20 million fee from Nice because he was entering the last year of his contract, has interest from several clubs in the Premier League. However, as you might expect, Juventus don’t have plans to suddenly sell Thuram despite the English interest that would likely come along with a big transfer fee.
Thuram’s current deal with Juventus runs through 2029.
Thuram has not quite continued on the same level of progression this season that he showed during his first campaign in Turin. He has still shown the same flashes of the player we saw last season under Thiago Motta and then Igor Tudor, but it hasn’t been on the consistent basis that many of us were hoping to see him continue during his second season with Juventus.
Through 36 appearances (31 starts and 2,603 minutes played) so far this season, Thuram has three goals and three assists.
In 47 appearances (34 starts and 3,099 minutes played) last season, Thuram had five goals and five assists.
But it is clear that Juve manager Luciano Spalletti — he himself is currently discussing a new contract with the club that pretty much everybody who has reported on it expects him to sign in due time — values Thuram and wants to ensure that he is a big part of the future. If Thuram can channel more of the 2024-25 version of himself rather than the one that has shown up a good portion of the time this season, then Juve will have a very good midfielder on their hands on a very nice deal even with the expected pay raise.
At the very least, if Thuram does sign a new contract at Juventus in the coming weeks, then we get to continue to see papa Lilian’s wonderful collection of hats continue to grace the Allianz Stadium for a few more years.
