Inter have confirmed the signing of French forward Marcus Thuram on a free transfer.
The 25-year-old underwent his medical with the Nerazzurri earlier this week. He is believed to have signed a contract worth €6.5m per season until June 2028.
“Marcus Thuram is quick. He has always been quick, to reach his goals and to overcome any hurdle in his path,” Inter said in a statement.
“To show that he is worth so much more than just the name on the back of his shirt, though he has never forgotten the teachings and example of his father Lilian, who, initially, would have preferred him to have taken up judo or fencing.
“To no avail. They’re too similar and both were destined to make waves in Italy. Marcus was born on 6 August 1997 in Parma, while his father was playing for the Gialloblù. Football has always been part of life for the lad they call Tikus; he dreamed of going on the attack and making the net bulge. Scoring is a joy for Thuram. It’s a joy that was instilled in him by Ronaldinho, Henry and Leo Messi after training sessions at Barcelona – where his dad was playing – when they would stay behind to have a kickabout with him.
“Marcus’ footballing adventure began in Neilly-sur-Seine before he joined Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt where, at the age of 13, he once turned up for a game wearing the same boots that his father had donned in the 2006 World Cup final. Following in the footsteps of Lilian, quite literally. Not yet an adult, he signed for Sochaux and then Guingamp in 2017. By then, he was well on his way. He scored 17 goals for EAG in two seasons with the club, including one to knock Paris Saint-Germain out of the Coupe de la Ligue in 2019.
“Marcus got quicker and it wasn’t long before he headed to Germany to sign for Borussia Mönchengladbach. It was at Borussia-Park that he really burst onto the scene. He changed his game, adding a refined technique and an eye for goal to his pace and power. Thuram is one of those electrifying entertainers; he drives his team on and off the pitch. Marcus celebrated Gladbach’s home wins by waving his shirt on a corner flag in front of the home crowd after a match. And those wins and successes kept coming and growing, so much so that he won a place in a talented France squad and played in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
“His path has crossed with Inter before. In October 2020, Thuram made his Champions League debut against the Nerazzurri at San Siro. That was the first taste of San Siro for a boy that had grown up dreaming of emulating Ronaldo O Fenômeno, who engaged in numerous battles with his father Lilian.
“Now, following his best season to date with 13 goals and six assists in the Bundesliga, Tikus’ adventure with the Nerazzurri has officially begun.”
The France international scored 44 goals in 134 appearances with Borussia Monchengladbach where he played from 2019 until last season.
Thuram made his senior France debut in 2020 and has 10 international caps to his name, but has yet to score his first goal with Les Blues.
Milan were in advanced talks with Thuram, but the Nerazzurri eventually convinced the striker to join them after Edin Dzeko’s free transfer to Fenerbahce.
Thuram was born in Parma in 1997 when his father Lilian was playing for the Ducali. The 1998 World Cup winner also played for Juventus and Barcelona during his career and was spotted with his son when he signed his contract with the Nerazzurri earlier this week.
Good signing for Inter, but they overpaid for him.