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What's the rumour?
As per the news first reported by talkSPORT, Real Madrid have entered the race to sign Liverpool star Emre Can.
The German's contract is due to expire at the end of the season making available for free. Juventus were the favourites to the signature of the midfielder but with Madrid now in contention, it will be a close race.
In case you didn't know...
Can arrived in Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2014 for a fee of £9.75 million. In his first season at Merseyside, the midfielder made 27 appearances in the Premier League as he was sidelined for the beginning of the season with an injury.
The 24-year-old has provided versatility during his stint in England. A central/defensive midfielder by trade, he has filled in at other roles and has played six other positions including in defence, right wing, left wing and also as an attacking midfielder.
He played 34 games as a centre-back under former manager Brendan Rodgers until the arrival of Jurgen Klopp when he got shifted back to his midfield spot.
The heart of the matter
The last two years there has been a great amount of maturity shown by the former Bayern Munich youth product. He has gone on to cement his place in the starting XI and has become an integral member of the Reds squad.
His incredible rise has earned him a call-up to the German national team, making the final cut for the 23-man squads for the UEFA Euro 2016 and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
This season is proving to be another successful one for Can. He has appeared in 37 games for the Merseysiders scoring six goals and assists four times.
The German midfielder has gone on to establish himself as one of the most consistent in the Liverpool squad, averaging 2.5 tackles and an impressive three long balls per game with a passing accuracy of 86%.
He has improved his game in the air as well, as he wins two aerial duels per game. However, he can still be careless with his challenges as he has already received eight yellow cards in the Premier League and is two bookings away from a two-match suspension.
Rumour probability/rating: 8/10
This campaign, there have been no signs or indications of Liverpool offering a contract to Can. His future at Anfield looks very uncertain and he looks bound for a move away from Jurgen Klopp's team.
Juventus looked to be in pole position to wrap up the deal in the offseason but this will no longer be the case with the emergence of Real Madrid.
The German himself refused to be involved in any contract negotiations midway through the season and preferred to have his future sorted out at the end of the season. He was advised by his agent to delay talks so that he could concentrate on achieving his targets with the Reds, as reported by Goal.
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Author's take
The probability of Liverpool offering a new deal to Can seems less likely as Klopp is already scouting for replacements in the transfer market.The German will be hot property in the summer and could see himself involved in a tussle between two great European clubs.
Juventus looks to be the better fit for him as the chances of him straight away forcing his way to the starting lineup are better when compared to Real Madrid since in Spain, he will have to face competition from the established trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos which could reduce his game time eliminating him to the fringes.
