Emre Can has been tipped to leave Liverpool, after continued contract talks with the club hit another frustrating impasse as 2017 draws to a close.
The German midfielder, who turns 24 in January, has been linked with a move to Italian side Juventus once his contract expires at the end of this season.
Talks over a new deal have been going on for 18 months but it’s now reported that those discussions have reached a point where it has “reached the point where there appears to be no solution.”
That’s as reported by the Daily Mail‘s Liverpool reporter, Dominic King – who notes earlier reports that Can’s agent had requested a release clause in a new deal.
The Mirror‘s David Maddock claims that: “Can’s representatives have played hard ball in negotiations – looking for a figure similar to the wage Phlippe Coutinho agreed in his last deal, of around £160,000 a week.”
Can signed for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £9.75 million in summer 2014 and has made 143 appearances for the Reds since then, a key part of teams under managers Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
Now a regular in the German national squad, Can has also been linked with a return to Bayern Munich – where he made four appearances before joining Leverkusen in 2013, seeking more first-team opportunities.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Can is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any new club from January.
If that does indeed happen, it would be very interesting to see how Klopp handles the situation.
Liverpool’s midfield is set for a major reshuffle next summer, with Can departing, Naby Keita arriving and Philippe Coutinho‘s future back on the agenda.
Can would be the highest profile free transfer departure since Liverpool lost Steve McManaman to Real Madrid in 1999.
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