Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly facing competition from Inter Milan to land Borussia Monchengladbach attacker Marcus Thuram.
The France international is about to enter the final six months of his contract with the Bundesliga club and is seemingly unlikely to pen an extension.
As a result, Thuram will be free to enter discussions with foreign clubs over a pre-contract agreement in January before leaving Monchengladbach on a free transfer in the summer.
Alternatively, Monchengladbach could accept a cut-price fee in the winter window to avoid losing Thuram for nothing at the end of the season, and the 25-year-old is believed to have attracted plenty of interest.
Arsenal and Man United are considered to be two of the leading contenders to sign him, while Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have also been tipped to swoop for the France international.
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However, Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter have also entered the race for Thuram, whose entourage have planned talks with the Nerazzurri in the January transfer window.
The report adds that Thuram is still mulling over his options and is yet to make a decision, but he could be tempted by a move to Italy due to his father's illustrious career in Serie A.
The Monchengladbach forward is the son of ex-France defender Lilian Thuram, who spent 10 years in Italy with Parma and Juventus, winning the UEFA Cup with the former and two Serie A titles with the latter.
Thuram left Guingamp in 2019 to sign for Monchengladbach, where he has recorded 41 goals and 26 assists in 119 appearances across all tournaments, including 13 strikes and four assists from 17 games this term.
The 25-year-old's exploits at club level earned him a place in the France squad for the 2022 World Cup, and while he did not start a single game for Les Bleus in Qatar, he provided two assists off the bench.
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Thuram played 79 minutes of the final against Argentina, setting up Kylian Mbappe's second goal on the night, and he could arrive at Arsenal as a solution to Gabriel Jesus's long-term injury.
The Brazilian attacker is expected to be sidelined until March after undergoing knee surgery, although Arsenal are currently prioritizing a move for Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Meanwhile, Man United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that he is on the lookout for a new striker in January after Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was terminated by mutual consent last month.
The 37-year-old criticised various aspects of the club and admitted that he held no respect for Ten Hag during an interview with Piers Morgan, which led to his acrimonious departure.
The Red Devils are said to have drawn up a three-man shortlist of attacking options for the January window, including Benfica's Goncalo Ramos and Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic.
Ben Knapton
