Juventus have been handed a fresh midfield headache just as the campaign was beginning to take shape. Khephren Thuram, the dynamic Frenchman brought i...
Juventus have been handed a fresh midfield headache just as the campaign was beginning to take shape. Khephren Thuram, the dynamic Frenchman brought in to add legs and drive to Thiago Motta's engine room, is now battling a knee problem that will keep him sidelined. For a club that has spent much of the last eighteen months balancing the books while trying to rebuild its identity, this feels like a gut punch.You do not need to squint too hard to see why the Bianconeri are sweating. Thuram had started to look the part, offering that rare blend of power and progressive carrying that allows the team to bypass a low block. Without him, the midfield loses a crucial transitional gear. So where do they turn According to GoalZaza, the answer is a familiar one: Franck Kessié, currently a free agent after his stint in Saudi Arabia, is being aggressively pursued by the Old Lady.Kessié is not the silky regista type. He is a box to box force, a man who thrives in the mixer, who can bully opponents off the ball and then arrive late in the area to finish with clinical precision. Sound familiar Juve have lacked that exact profile since the days of a fully fit Paul Pogba, and before that, the relentless energy of Arturo Vidal. Can Kessié still operate at the level needed for a top Serie A side The question is fair, but the logic of this deal is undeniable.There is the financial reality too. A free transfer, with no fee, means the club can offer a decent wage without triggering FFP alarms. It is a low risk, potentially high reward punt that gives Motta tactical flexibility. Kessié can sit deep in a double pivot, push forward as a number eight, or even fill in as a makeshift centre forward if the game is on a knife edge. That kind of versatility is gold when your first choice is nursing a knee.Thuram's absence might only be short term, but knee issues are never truly straightforward in football. One knock can lead to another, a niggle can turn into a chronic worry. Juventus are right to be cautious. And if they can land Kessié on a sensible deal, they may well have stumbled into a solution that makes them stronger for the long haul. The question now is whether the Ivorian still has the hunger to prove himself. Anyone who watched him at Milan knows that when he is on it, there are few more effective midfield operators in Europe.
