Kolo Muani seems ready to make Juve stay permanent
Juventus's Khephren Thuram believes he will not need to convince compatriot Randal Kolo Muani to make a permanent switch to the Serie A side.
Kolo Muani joined Juventus from Paris Saint-Germain in January until the end of the season, with the deal extended to allow him to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The France international netted eight goals in Serie A, the second-highest total in the squad, and averaged a goal every 145.5 minutes for Igor Tudor's team.
Indeed, the last French player to score eight or more goals with Juventus in a Serie A season starting from January was David Trezeguet in 2005-2006, also eight.
Kolo Muani has carried his good form into the FIFA Club World Cup, netting twice in Juventus's opening Group G game as it thrashed Al Ain 5-0 at Audi Field earlier this week.
The 26-year-old has expressed his desire to remain with Juventus next season, and Thuram believes he would be a welcome addition to the squad in 2025-2026.
"He is one of the world's best strikers. He's fast, scores goals and works hard for the team," Thuram said.
"I don't need to convince him [to stay]. This is Juventus, and everyone wants to stay."
Juventus is preparing for its second game at the FIFA Club World Cup, taking on Wydad AC, which lost to Manchester City in its opening match of the tournament.
Juve's 5-0 win over Al Ain was the largest margin of victory in a team's first FIFA Club World Cup match, surpassing 4-0 wins by Barcelona in 2006 and Paris Saint-Germain earlier this tournament.
Thuram, along with Alberto Costa, each recorded two assists for Juventus in that win, the only pair of team-mates to record multiple assists on matchday one of the competition.
"I'm very happy to be involved in it [FIFA Club World Cup]. It's the first time, and we are proud to represent Italy," Thuram said.
"It's always great to participate in these tournaments with Juventus, and we must do our best.
A win for Juventus against Wydad will likely seal its spot in the Round of 16, depending on how Manchester City does against Al Ain in their group encounter.
Thuram has full confidence his team can go all the way.
"Of course, we believe in it, but right now we have to focus on the present," he said. "We'll take it one game at a time, and we'll see."
