According to The Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle United’s coaching staff and members of the club’s recruitment team watched Nice’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal yesterday to watch long-term target Khephren Thuram.
The Frenchman started in the early kick-off in the Sela Cup, but Hope reveals that Toon officials were left less than impressed by the 22-year-old.
He’s been watched by club scouts for over 12 months now – we revealed that preliminary talks had taken place last June – yet the £35m-rated midfielder showed ‘indifferent body language’ and lacked the intensity and running Eddie Howe demands during his St James’ Park audition.
However, one player who may have impressed club staff watching on from the directors’ box is Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo. He’s another player Newcastle have tracked in their ongoing search for an athletic right-sided centre-back and showed his pace and quality on Saturday.
Hope adds that attentions have turned to a centre-back now Tino Livramento is on Tyneside and all set to sign, so it’ll be interesting to see if we up our interest in Todibo; who ticks several boxes as young, athletic option with plenty of ability on the ball.
