Liverpool close in on second signing of the summer after Alexis Mac Allister: Reports

Liverpool are edging closer to reaching an agreement with OGC Nice over the signing of Khephren Thuram, according to Football Insider.

The Reds wasted no time in making their first signing of the summer as they announced Alexis Mac Allister's acquisition from Brighton & Hove Albion on June 8. Although they have since been quiet, it appears they have been hard at work on bolstering their ranks further behind the scenes.

It emerged last week that Liverpool are prepared to wait until the European Under-21 Championship ends before stepping up their interest in Thuram, who is with the France U21 national team. It has been said that the Premier League giants are willing to make an offer that is close to Nice's valuation of €40 million.

According to the aforementioned source, the Merseyside-based club are pushing to get a deal across the line for Thuram. They expect to reach an agreement with the Ligue 1 club over the midfielder's signing if the report is to be believed. The Frenchman, meanwhile, is said to be keen on moving to Anfield.

Liverpool signing Thuram would be a huge blow to Newcastle United, who are also interested in him as they eye a box-to-box midfielder. As per the report, the Tyneside-based club have expressed their desire to sign the former AS Monaco man.

Thuram, who has two years remaining on his contract, has made 138 appearances across competitions for Nice, bagging eight goals and 11 assists. He also made his senior debut for France in their 4-0 home win against the Netherlands in their 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifier in March.

The Nice star is primarily a central midfielder but can also operate as a defensive midfielder. At Liverpool, he could thus play as a left-sided center-midfielder or a defensive midfielder in Jurgen Klopp's 4-3-3 system.

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Liverpool attacker Fabio Carvalho set for RB Leipzig loan move

Liverpool, meanwhile, have agreed to send Fabio Carvalho, 20, out on loan to RB Leipzig, according to Football Insider. The attacker is expected to undergo a medical with the Bundesliga club before finalizing the transfer.

Leipzig previously approached the Merseyside-based club with an offer in excess of €11.6 million last month. However, the Reds rejected the bid out of hand as they were not prepared to sell the youngster. It appears the clubs have now reached a compromise with a loan agreement.

Carvalho joined the Premier League giants from Fulham for a compromise fee of around €6 million last summer. However, he found playing time hard to come by at Anfield, starting only eight games across competitions in the 2022-23 season.

The Portugal U21 international will now hope to earn regular playing time at Leipzig next season. He could establish himself as a regular starter for the German club, with Christopher Nkunku joining Chelsea and Dominik Szoboszlai potentially on his way out.