Liverpool’s negotiations with Emre Can over a new deal stalled when the 23-year-old insisted on including a release clause in his new contract.
According to the Daily Star, Philippe Coutinho’s summer drama with Barcelona heavily influenced the German international’s thinking. With his star rising in European football circles, Can is adamant that the Reds will not stifle his career in the future.
The midfielder was linked with a move to Juventus continuously during the summer but the two clubs failed to reach an agreement and remained at Anfield.
Liverpool’s stance is risky; Can is the last year of his current four-year deal signed when he joined from Bayern Leverkusen in a €12m deal in 2014 after Liverpool triggered the release clause inserted into his contract. From January, he is free to talk to non-Premier League clubs and from next summer, will be a free agent when Liverpool will receive no fee at all for a player rated in the £40m bracket.
With Arsenal also refusing to sell Alexis Sanchez despite Arsene Wenger admitting it will cost £70m, there’s a change in Premier League club thinking with the short-term benefits of retaining a player view more importantly than the financial benefits of a quick sale.
