Marcus Thuram is a free transfer this summer heres what he can offer your club

June 09, 2024

In an inflating transfer market, the availability of Marcus Thuram on a free transfer this summer almost seems too good to be true.

Borussia Monchengladbach have already accepted their worst-case scenario publicly. Despite scoring 11 league goals this season, along with 21 in the three campaigns before, the west German club can offer no resistance as Thuram allows his contract to run down, meaning their top scorer is free to leave on June 30.

As the interested parties begin to close in, here’s a look at why Thuram will be on many clubs’ radars…

The first thing to mention about Thuram is the most immediately obvious: his physical presence.

Standing at 6ft 3in (190.5cm) and blessed with a searing turn of pace, the 25-year-old is one of few forwards at the top of the European game truly able to combine a solid frame with bursts of unbeatable acceleration and deft, calculated control.

In this respect, the Bundesliga has proven the ideal environment to unleash his impressive forward momentum, with Gladbach head coach Daniel Farke bringing Thuram in from the left to tear through high defensive lines. Scoring against both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich after picking up the ball in his own half, his ability to charge through disorganised defences before stretching away from the chasing pack makes him a potent counter-attacking weapon.

But it’s not just route-one football where he shines. Thuram has also shown an increasing ability to change direction quickly to create separation from defenders before powering past them to receive the pass. Here against Mainz, for example, the forward originally drops for the pass to feet, dragging his marker out of the defensive line before turning and exploding into the space vacated.

As such, while that running power gives Thuram the edge with space in behind the defence, it is deceptive attacking movement that consistently gets him into the most valuable positions.

One such strength in the striker’s forward-thinking is his desire to drift into opposition blindspots, lurking just where his closest defender isn’t able to comfortably keep track of him before bursting into position when the opportunity arrives.

In the example below during the Rhine derby with Cologne, with his side racing away on the counter, Thuram travels towards the penalty area; his back-peddling marker Luca Kilian constantly has to check over his shoulder to monitor the forward’s run…

With the space closing down for the through ball, Thuram waits for the centre-back to look away before making his move, quickly curving his run inwards to nip in front for the shorter pass…

At full speed, the defender fails to readjust as he notices Thuram emerging from his blindside to meet the cutback, allowing the striker space to finish with the outside of his right boot.

Similarly, during fast-paced combinations, Thuram often leaves the build-up to his more creative team-mates, instead looking to ghost into more advantageous areas with elusive off-the-ball movement.

In this move against Stuttgart, as Jonas Hofmann brings the ball forward, Alassane Plea makes a smart run while Thuram instead peels off and looks to arc his direction behind the full-back, aiming for that blindspot once more…

With all eyes on the ball carrier as Plea receives the pass, Thuram is free to charge in at the back post undetected. He bundles home from close range.

This combination of direct power with intelligent shadow-hopping on the transition sees a large number of chances fall the Frenchman’s way.

Such evasive runs help to explain the striker’s league-leading shooting statistics.

With 66 attempts on goal, 34 of those on target, and an accumulated non-penalty expected goal (npxG) value of 11.1 throughout the season, nobody has pulled the trigger more often than Thuram in Germany this season, while his 11 non-penalty goals also can’t be bettered by anyone in the Bundesliga in 2022-23.

Helped by the fact 92 per cent of his efforts have come from inside the penalty area, Thuram’s expected goal-per-shot value of 0.17 is extremely healthy for such a high-volume shot-taker, outlining a forward who is consistently capable of getting into good areas to take on dangerous strikes at goal.

These numbers offer further encouragement that Thuram’s current goalscoring ratio is sustainable rather than a freakish flash of form.

While he only managed three goals in the Bundesliga last season, a combination of reduced game time due to injury along with a wider role out on the left saw Thuram less able to make his intelligent movements in central spaces. Tellingly, his expected goals (xG) per game rate has rocketed from 0.42 to 0.57 this campaign, reflecting the impact of that positional switch under Farke.

In the good moments and the bad, the Frenchman rarely shoots above the average or dips below, leading to one important conclusion: get Thuram in advanced central areas and his intelligence, physicality and sheer willpower will see him create chances — and invariably score.

Away from the goal, Thuram’s experience on the wing means that this towering sprinter can also dribble.

Preferring to keep the ball under close control, Thuram often pushes it onto his stronger right side with the outside of his boot. Nonetheless, having scored six of his 11 goals with his left this campaign, Gladbach’s number 10 is more than happy to jink back onto his weaker side. This is demonstrated by his positive inside-to-out drive into the box below early on against Cologne.

What’s remarkable about Thuram’s build-up play, though, is his efficiency. Often allowing the play to approach him, the forward is all about occupying defenders, keeping things simple and carefully choosing his moments to spark into life.

For example, while an average of 19 carries per game would leave Thuram in the bottom 20th percentile in the Bundesliga this season, his carries into the penalty area see him up in the 96th.

Similarly, 17 of the Bundesliga’s 18 regular starting goalkeepers average more touches per 90 than his 31.5, yet only eight players with more than 900 minutes to their name have touched the ball more often in the opposition penalty area.

As such, when Thuram does get involved, he isn’t one to dwell on things. Very adept with one-touch lay-offs, clever flicks and disguised passes, he can often be an invaluable receiver of the line-breaking pass, acting swiftly and systematically to keep play moving. In the below example against Stuttgart, he spins the ball around the corner for an onrushing Kouadio Kone, allowing us to see how a great deal of his shot-creating actions are performed.

If anything, most patient moves tend to pass Thuram by. However, he is still alert, fixing defenders in position and pouncing on mistakes and loose balls.

Against a lower block, as seen below versus Hoffenheim, Thuram walks with the attack as it switches from side to side, remaining between two defenders to lock them in position.

Biding his time and allowing the move to develop around him, Thuram might have been the target for a cross had the move advanced to the left. However, a lapse of defensive discipline opens up the space for the immediate through ball from Plea, allowing him to finish with his left foot.

Be it sharp, incisive movements, lung-bursting runs or basic centre-forward play, Thuram is able to use his unique style to consistently carve out chances in and around the box.

But Thuram’s biggest strengths have the potential to become his most glaring weaknesses.

Often unable to get involved in tight, cagey games, there can often be added pressure on the striker to produce whenever he does receive the ball, leading to occasional untidiness as he looks to make the most out of his limited touches. Despite his generally good close control, 2.68 miscontrols per game is the sixth-most of Bundesliga players to have played over 900 minutes.

Similarly, while his average finishing ability points to a sustainable long-term output, it does also mean that he is prone to fluffing his lines — more often than might be forgiven at a trophy-chasing club. The victory over Borussia Dortmund illustrates that point, with Thuram scoring once but missing two further big chances, including the opportunity below.

While largely forgotten amid a rampaging 4-2 Gladbach win, such wastefulness might be harder to swallow against more defensively-compact opponents.

Yet a player in peak physical shape and enjoying his best goalscoring form — and one that’s available for no transfer fee — is too intriguing to ignore. With plenty of time to fine-tune his game, Thuram’s stature and striker’s instinct means he can offer so much even while he works to improve.

His ability to fix defenders while others do the work, and for him to spring into life on the counter, certainly feels like a profile from which Chelsea could reap rewards. Inter Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona — a former club of his father Lilian — might also benefit from a goalscoring focal point to support or replace ageing frontmen (and Burnley loanees).

Wherever he ends up, the data suggests he will score goals. Barging uninvited into the penalty area and dominating his opponents? It’s what Marcus Thuram does best.

(Top photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)

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