The rumour mill in Turin is turning with a very specific kind of noise this week, and it centres on a tantalising equation. It involves a young French...
The rumour mill in Turin is turning with a very specific kind of noise this week, and it centres on a tantalising equation. It involves a young French midfielder who has yet to truly declare himself in Serie A and a Parisian striker who has looked every bit the lost soul in the French capital. The talk, as you might have heard from GoalZaza, is that Juventus see Khephren Thuram as the man to finally get Randal Kolo Muani firing.Let's park the formalities for a moment. This is not your standard loan with an option to buy. This is about something deeper, something tactical. Kolo Muani's struggles at PSG are not a mystery. He is a player who thrives on space, on being fed through the lines, on the chaos of transitional football. At the Parc des Princes, he gets none of that. He is asked to pin back a low block, to hold up play against two centre backs who are bigger than him, and to wait for a cross that never comes with enough precision. He looks like a sprinter forced to run a marathon in concrete boots.Enter Thuram. The former Nice man is not your typical box to box runner. He is a disruptor. He carries the ball with a languid stride that belies a sudden burst of acceleration, and crucially, he has the vision to spot a run before the defender does. For a striker like Kolo Muani, who is desperate for a pass that arrives at his feet in stride rather than at his head, Thuram could be the difference between a career resurgence and another year of frustration. If Thiago Motta can give Thuram the licence to drift and the freedom to pick those pockets of space between the lines, you have a partnership that could wreak havoc on any backline in Italy.There is, of course, the question of fit. Juventus have been crying out for a focal point, a forward who can finish with the clinical edge that Dusan Vlahovic has too often lacked in the big moments. Kolo Muani is not a pure poacher, but he is a runner who wants to play on the shoulder. If Thuram can find him early, if he can bypass the midfield pressure and slide that ball into the inside right channel, then the Old Lady might just have found the formula that unlocks the entire attack. It is a gamble, sure. But in the world of modern football, this is the kind of calculated risk that separates the contenders from the pretenders.One thing is certain. The next few weeks will be squeaky bum time for the Juve hierarchy. They need to get this deal over the line, and they need to give Thuram the leash to do what he does best. If they do, we might be looking at the most intriguing tactical partnership of the season. If they don't Well, then we are back to the same old argument about why Italian clubs cannot attract or keep a top talent. The ball, as they say, is in Motta's court.
