Serie A holders Juventus are reportedly confident of wrapping up a pre-contract agreement to sign Emre Can at the end of the season. The Germany international has snubbed the prospect of an contract extension at Liverpool, and he is likely to leave on a free transfer in the summer.
According to The Guardian, the Bianconeri have held positive talks with the player’s representatives, and they are leading the race to the services of the former Bayern Munich man. Can, who is wanted by a host of European sides, is said to have received assurances of regular first-team football by manager Max Allegri, and it is suggested that he will put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal worth £85,000 a week alongside a significant signing-on fee.
The 23-year-old has had his critics since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2014, but he has made immense progress under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp, just like several other players including Adam Lallana. As per The Guardian, Juventus had made contact with the Reds with the proposal of signing Can this month, but the club have dismissed the prospect, having recently lost the services of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in a record deal.
Unlike Coutinho’s situation, Klopp is well prepared for the departure of Can in a few months’ time with an agreement already in place to sign RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita. The Guinea international is certain to join the Merseyside outfit prior to the start of the 2017/18 campaign, and the club will part with a fee of around £55m for his services from the Bundesliga side.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Can’s position, the German has not shown a drop in performance levels while on the playing field, and this could do Liverpool a lot of good in the coming months as they are likely to give a go to win either the FA Cup or Champions League, though the former remains their most realistic chance of securing silverware this term.
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