Emre Can’s agents are pushing for him to be offered an enormous wage, bringing him in line with Coutinho as one of the club’s very highest earners.
What’s more, they want his new deal to include a low release-clause, not representative of his current market value – which would make him almost certainly targeted by multiple European clubs.
This is according to the trusted Melissa Reddy, who pens her articles for Goal.
She claims that Liverpool are willing to give Can a mammoth wage and release-clause, but only if the clause is high and becomes active at a later date – to protect us from poachers.
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Alternatively, we’ll agree to the lower release-clause, but only if Can accepts a lower wage.
He can’t have both.
But unfortunately for the club, Can is in an increasingly strong negotiating position with his contract out at the end of the season and European clubs able to freely approach him from January.
Top sports lawyer Jake Cohen says: “Can will likely be able to exert substantial leverage in negotiations with Liverpool. Generally, the time left on a top player’s existing contract directly correlates to the amount of leverage the player will be able to exert in negotiations.
“As the player’s contract winds down, his leverage will increase, as his value as an asset to the club will depreciate, and there is always a risk that the player will play out his contract.
“Furthermore, if the midfielder does decide to leave on a free transfer, Liverpool will not be entitled to a compensation fee set by the PFCC, as he will have turned 24 by the time his contract expires in June.
“In Can’s case, if a suitor would otherwise be willing to pay a substantial transfer fee for his services and then sign him to a long-term contract, it follows that if that same suitor could sign Can on a free transfer, it would be willing to divert some portion of the transfer fee it would have otherwise had to pay to Liverpool into the player’s personal compensation package.
“This is a strong position to be negotiating from.”
Juventus are waiting patiently and will definitely approach the 23-year-old early 2018 if he hasn’t renewed his deal.
Liverpool recognise that losing Can for nothing would be a travesty, so although we’d prefer not to include a release-clause, it’s better than the swashbuckling midfielder departing on a Bosman.
Any clause though would not be able to be activated by domestic rivals and would hopefully only become active at a later date, much like Naby Keita’s only becomes active at the end of this season.
Can is not unhappy at Liverpool, but wants to make the best decision for his career that will enable him to play in the Champions League regularly and compete for trophies.
Hopefully, a compromise will be reached.