Khéphren THURAM - 5 alternatives to Moisés Caicedo for Chelsea's midfield (1/5)
That’s football ‘eritage
Khéphren Thuram is the second son of 1998 World Cup Winner Lilian and younger brother of Marcus (1997).
Born in Parma, Italy in 2001, but raised in Paris area.
Competing for AC Boulogne BB whilst at INF Clairefontaine (One of France’s 16 Excellence Centre).
Career trajectory not going south
Khéphren joined Monaco in 2015, but refused the pro contract offer, possibly because he didn’t see a clear pathway into the first team.
Usually, there’s a unwriten agreement between French clubs to not do that to each other, but looking at it light-heartedly, one will argue Monaco is not exactly France, and if anything, Monaco has still probably done enough of this (Wilson Isidor, Sofiane Diop, Willem Geubbels…) in recent years to be sprinkled on this one time.
Thuram didn’t feature in Monaco’s car crash of a 2018/19 season (Jardim, Henry, Jardim again and narrowly avoiding the drop), whereas Benoît Badiashile (born the same day) found his way into the team.
Thuram only played 27' & 21' vs Atletico & BVB in the Champions League.
Turned professional at neighbours OGC Nice in the summer 2019 instead
A mainstay for every French NT age group from U16 onwards.
Currently has 14 games for U21s so far.
He’s always been regarded as one of the brightest prospects of his generation, as a tall, elegant, attacking minded 8.
A Nice career start
Khéphren Thuram started to feature in 2019/20, especially from Feb 2020 under Patrick Vieira. The Ligue 1 season was curtailed in March and didn’t restart.
Thuram trained in different positions, namely deepest in 433 in 2020/21 behind two roaming 10s (sometimes Claude-Maurice and Lees-Melou, more like YOLOGC Nice)
Vieira’s coaching has been key to take him off the path of the “luxury one way dribbling 8” that he could have ended up taking
However, Vieira was dismissed in late 2020 (disagreements with the sporting director, failing to perform twice a a week after qualifying for Europe the season before).
Caretaker Ursea (former assistant) didn’t play Thuram as much.
More as 8 in 433 later on in the season.
Spreading his wings
Christophe Galtier couldn’t replicate his Lille 2021 heroic title win after being appointed at Nice ahead of 2021/22.
He still drilled the same 442 template than he’s been using at Lille.
Khéphren Thuram was on and off (only 7 starts) in the first part of the season.
Then settled alongside destroyer Pablo Rosario (short sleeves in any circumstances, not beating around the bush) and benching Lemina/Schneiderlin in the process with 13 starts. Nice finished 5th with 66pts, three points from Champions League qualification in what was still good yet a bit underwhelming at the same time.
Nice also lost the French Cup final to Nantes (despite Christophe Galtier lavishing praise on the French President in the pre-game ceremony).
Some also say the ball doesn’t lie.
Knocking out PSG at Parc des Princes in the Quarter Finals, with an outstanding performance from Thuram was one of the highlights of the French season in what was a truly great game of football.
However, Nice’s season never took off in 22/23 under Favre, appointed late in the summer (after Galtier’s move to PSG lingered because PSG had to sort out Pochettino’s situation first). Favre was a board choice, not the sporting direction’s choice and vented frustration at the transfer business and not being kept in the loop.
The first months of the season were a bit difficult to read (if anything, it didn’t built on the previous season), and were more akin to a big turnover of a squad review.
Favre had the team playing 433 4231 3421 352.
Khéphren Thuram playing in a more all round CM role in a 2 or as a 8 in 433 with varied profiles (Ramsey, Schneiderlin, Boudaoui, Lemina) next to him.
Nice replaced Favre after the perennial “Ligue 1 club crashes out to a lower division team in the French cup the first week of January” for Didier Digard (former Middlesbrough, but mostly Le Havre and PSG, a very fine 8 midfielder in his playing days).
Digard re-energised the team (which is one of the best squads Ligue has seen in recent seasons) and seems to enjoy a prolonged honeymoon, scoring goals for fun and not condeding much. Mostly playing 433 and a bit of 343.
Thuram mostly as 8, with Boudaoui settled alongside him (and the always impressive all-action Aaron Ramsey doing what he does best: covering every blade of grass with quality plays).
Thuram’s goals vs Montpellier and Monaco in the past months (on YouTube) are strong indications he won’t be too far from the French National Team the next time round.
Make the pitch look small
Khéphren Thuram is in the same mould as dominant French central midfelders seen in recent years: Pogba, Rabiot, Tchouaméni in that uncanny ability to make the pitch look small when they carry the ball upfield.
He stands at 1.92 meters (6ft3) tall. Like a quicker Matić
Mid-range passing expert
Khéphren Thuram’s distribution revolves around his mid-range passing ability. Rarely gets ahead of the ball, but uses his technical ability to find incisive diagonal passes, and mid-range switches.
Always over 85% accuracy for 45 to 57 passes per game in 4 seasons.
Patrick Vieira’s tutelage
Khéphren Thuram’s defensive game is definitely something he developed with time, especially under Patrick Vieira.
His reading, tackling, heading (even headed tackles!) is good.
Defending cutback crosses too.
Ideally, he’s obviously best as attacking 8 as the spectacular highlight reels of his suggest. But he’s also able to hold a more positional role, both in terms of simple and fluid distribution, and defensive nous (positioning, and duels).
LeFt HaLf sPaCe oPeRaToR
Khéphren Thuram provides good support around the box especially on the left hand side. Enhances a quick circulation to maintain teams under pressure.
However, his final pass from the angles of the box is improving season after season, that early inswinging cross isn’t his strongest pass.
Had a good performance despite a disappointing result in the French Cup final against Nantes.
Two way player
Khéphren Thuram looks suited to English football, as he's developing into an effective two-ways midfielder able to be involved at both ends on the same play without huffing & puffing.
He’s comfortable tracking runners down the channels, makes good decisions on open field defence situations (funnel possession towards defensive team mates, not lunging into stupid challenges and commiting blatant fouls)
Build up Pizza
Khephren Thuram this season in Ligue 1 per 90 chunks:
41 / 48 passes,
85% acc.
4 prog. passes completed
1.2 dribbles (66% success, 78% last season from 1.3!)
2.6 shot creating actions
1.8 tackles, 47% succ. 1.2 interceptions
Build up pizza courtesy of @mclachbot / @ChicagoDmitry that match the evolution of his last three seasons.
Promising player, on and off with two managers in 20/21
A very strong 2021/22 season
Not quite reaching his standards of the previous seasons (yet)
Mail delivery
< Khephren Thuram’s pass receptions (left chart), reinforce the opinion of a relied-on player trusted to pass the ball to, in low build up or higher up left.
The amount of progressive passes he receives up left is impressive and look to be a consistent feature of his game, that overlaps several managers.
Thuram also manages to connect quite often crosses at the penalty spot, suggesting he is able to time his runs to get at the end of deliveries in the box.
> Progressive passes (right chart) look quite good, aggresive vertical passes with lots of success toward dangerous areas.
A glimpse in the in match footage (in the French Cup final), his diagonal early inswingers from the left edge of the box look to be the one consistent pass type he’s not having success with.
Ball progressor 8
Playing style parallels stand with Kovačić (& Chukwuemeka) in terms of playing style (as for Chelsea players).
Mateo Kovačić for the supreme technical ability, and Carney Chukwuemeka for the “unicorn” profile.
Thuram (2001) is obviously 2 years older than Chukwuemeka (2003), but their initial status is broadly the same: towering dominant players that made the pitch look small in every age group so far.
Thuram notably received coaching to be able to be equally comfortable in a more positional, rigorous role in a midfield two or even as a lone DM and not just as a “substitute left winger-ish, go out and have fun”. Patrick Vieira’s impact in that regard has been key (2018-2020). As for Carney, watch this space.
Khéphren Thuram through @smarterscout's lenses
Kovacic & Caicedo's defensive activity seems more PL-ready at the moment. Kovacic was huffing and puffing tracking back in his 18/19 season under Sarri, but looked to have bulked up even more and adding some genuine muscular ball winning skills (a barge over a tackle, even if he does tackle as well but you often don’t want to be the player he tackles).
Thuram’s defensive ratings aren’t the best feature to put forward, but he’s also the most attacking minded (and gifted) of the list of 5 players.
Kovačić appears better for ball retention, Thuram for dribbling/receiving in the box
Thuram’s headed game on dead balls is a strong suit as well
Consolation goal at Cobham
Khéphren Thuram already faced Chelsea, in UEFA Youth League in 2019 in a 3-1 defeat, scoring a late consolation goal.
Gallagher scored a good top corner free kick.
Gilmour, Lamptey, Guéhi also featuring for Chelsea.
Benoît Badiashile (born same day 03/26/2001) captained the first 3 group stage games for Monaco, before getting involved in the First Team.
Khéphren Thuram's game is more of the ball progressor type who developped ball-winning skills, than a Caicedo makeshift per se. He’s nevertheless an interesting profile to keep an eye on, as “unicorn” midfielders generally are. 🦄
good prospect, not sure if he is the right profile though