Manchester United are reportedly regarded as the favourites to win the race for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram.
After the high-profile departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, United are in the market for a new frontman, with those recent claims being backed up by head coach Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman told reporters last week: "We need good players. Not only numbers, you need quality players to cover that and also that you need competition. And you need also that you can make tactical choices.
"So, we are looking for the right player for our squad and has to match our sporting criteria but also our financial criteria."
United have been linked with a wide array of alternatives to Ronaldo, including Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix and Al-Nassr's Vincent Aboubakar.
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However, according to La Republicca, United are the frontrunners to eventually secure a deal for Thuram.
The France international has remained as a star man at Monchengladbach this season, contributing 10 goals and three assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances.
However, the 25-year-old now has less than six months remaining on his contract, and it appears highly likely that he will take on a new challenge in 2023.
As it stands, it is unclear whether that will materialise in January or in the summer, with Monchengladbach left to make a decision on how they will assess any offers which are made for Thuram's signature.
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The report suggests that the German side's hierarchy are insisting on a fee of £13.2m, a figure which is currently not being warmly received by interested clubs due to the player close to becoming a free agent.
Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are also said to be monitoring any developments with Thuram's future as they contemplate attempting to negotiate a deal.
While United and Inter are free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with Thuram and his representatives, Bayern must wait until the summer unless they are able to agree terms with Monchengladbach.
Inter are said to have already indicated that they are prepared to hand Thuram, who recently made five substitute outings at the World Cup, a four-year contract if he agrees to move to San Siro.
Darren Plant
