Liverpool have been linked with a move for Khephren Thuram over the last few weeks and now an update from a reliable source has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest?

According to journalist Jacque Talbot, Liverpool have held talks over signing the Nice midfielder this month.

Talbot tweeted: "Exc: Told Atalanta will refuse to sell reported Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners this window. Aiming for Europa and have already sold off Ruslan Malinovskyi to Marseille. Hear been talks between Reds and Khephren Thuram of Nice - and Kouadio Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach tho."

Ward can get Anfield rocking

Jurgen Klopp will be feeling the pressure after a disappointing start for Liverpool in their 2022/23 campaign, with the side not only being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City but also falling behind in the Premier League too.

The Reds are currently sixth in the league table ahead of their clash with Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend and despite being a constant threat for the title challenge in previous campaigns are now 16 points behind leaders Arsenal as they head into the second half of the season.

The January transfer window offers a golden opportunity to strengthen the squad in their weakest positions to spark an ambitious effort to climb back up the table and in contention for at the very least a Champions League qualification position inside the top four.

One of the most critiqued areas of the pitch for Liverpool this season has been the midfield with the Anfield faithful simply crying out for reinforcements to be captured in order to get their beloved club back on track and competing for trophies.

In fact, the Merseyside giants are losing the majority of their duels (52.5%), as well as losing possession of the ball 158.1 times and conceding 1.3 goals per game in the Premier League this season, which is much worse than last season with only 0.7 goals conceded and a duel success rate of 49.1%.

As a result, the signing of Thuram - who has a transfer valuation of  €20m (£17m)- could be a solution that gets the Kop bouncing again, with the talented ace undoubtedly possessing the tools to improve the ferocity and composure of the team in the centre of the pitch.

When comparing the 21-year-old - hailed "hard-working" by Nice's technical director Gilles Grimandi -  to Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Harvey Elliott over this season alone, he has outperformed his three positional peers at Liverpool in many attributes.

That includes assists (2), pass completion rate (86.7%), tackles won (13), interceptions (13), tackles won vs dribblers (47.4%) and aerial duels won (7).

With that being said, the signing of Thuram could instantly improve the quality of play in midfield for Liverpool, with the youngster bringing better passing, tenacity and a greater reading of the play based on the numbers above.

Thus, if Julian Ward could seal a deal in January it could just be the addition that gets Anfield rocking again over the second half of the season. Indeed, the acquisition of a new central midfielder is an absolute must.