Liverpool are preparing themselves for the toughest stage of the summer transfer window so far, with key players attracting serious interest from elsewhere and new signings still required.
Amid an ongoing pursuit of Southampton’s Virgil’s van Dijk, the club also faces a battle to keep hold of Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian handed in a transfer request on Friday as he looks to push for a move to Barcelona.
The Reds have matched their stern insistence that Coutinho won’t be sold for any price by sending a similar message to another key player.
Emre Can has also been told by the club that he won’t be allowed to leave, according to the Mirror’s Simon Mullock.
The German has been subject to strong interest from Juventus since the end of last season with the Italian giants reportedly weighing up a £23million move for the midfielder.
His delayed contract negotiations at Anfield have been deemed by the Serie A side as an ideal situation to take advantage of, although the club’s chief executive recently admitted signing Can was unlikely.
#Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta admits they are unlikely to be able to sign Emre Can but that Dybala & Alex Sandro are staying #lfc#cfc#fcb
— Marcus Christenson (@m_christenson) 6 August 2017
Can, who is believed to be after £100,000-a-week, has now entered the final year of his current deal on Merseyside and refused Liverpool’s offer of a contract extension earlier this year.
Despite the stalling talks, Liverpool have seemingly adopted a more relaxed approach to the situation, thereby hinting at a confidence that an agreement will eventually be reached.
A standout finish to the 2016/2017 campaign saw Can emerge as a key figure under Klopp, thereby proving his worth and personally deciding his future at the club.
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£60m playmaker named No.1 Coutinho replacement; young German second on list