Liverpool are struggling to agree a new contract with midfielder Emre Can.
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can
According to The Mirror, Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is stalling over a new contract with the club as he attempts to have a release clause inserted into a deal.
The Reds swooped to sign Can from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014, with Brendan Rodgers recognising the potential of the former Bayern Munich youngster, just a year after he left the Allianz Arena.
Can, 23, has now racked up more than 130 appearances for Liverpool, scoring ten goals, and he has made a strong start to the new season, particularly impressing with a superb all-round display against Arsenal before the international break.
The German international is primed for a big season in the Liverpool midfield, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Reds have been attempting to tie him down to a new deal – but those efforts have failed so far.
The Mirror report that talks with Can are at a standstill, given that Can wants to have a release clause inserted into his deal, which Liverpool appear unwilling to do.
It’s noted that Can has seen how Liverpool stood in Philippe Coutinho’s way when Barcelona came calling this summer, and he doesn’t want the same to happen to him, hence his demands for a release clause.
Juventus are understood to be interested in signing Can, and he can either sign a pre-contract agreement in January or leave on a Bosman next summer, with either of those options meaning he can leave for nothing.
Manager Jurgen Klopp is understood to be unhappy that there is no movement on Can’s deal, and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool can convince the midfielder to sign new terms before the start of 2018.
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