Should Liverpool give in to Emre Can’s contract demands?

For almost a year now, Emre Can and Liverpool have been at a standstill over the German's contract. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Liverpool still have an offer on the table with Can yet to commit his future at Anfield.

Liverpool are willing to make him one of the club's highest earners, but Can’s camp is keen on one thing-- a low release clause. Can’s team is keen to have an easy escape route out of Liverpool if needed. It seems like Liverpool won't be meeting those demands. But should they be doing everything in their power to keep Can?

Release clauses are pretty much non-existent at Liverpool. So for Liverpool to break that trend would be a real surprise. But they may want to. After buying Can from Bayer Leverkusen at the age of 20 in the summer of 2014, it would be a real shame for the club to develop a great young player for 4 years thinking he could be the future of your club only to lose him for free before he even hits his prime.

It would be a major failure in Liverpool’s transfer strategy. But offering him a release clause would set a bad president at the club.

If Liverpool were to include a release clause in Can’s contract then what's to say other players wouldn't want one in the future. And when the club refuses to add one, that player can just point to Can’s contract and ask why he got one.

Rebels or dreamers?

Giving in to Can’s demands will back Liverpool into a corner in all future negotiations, with both current and incoming players. Liverpool should not be held to ransom by any player, even if not doing so results in letting go of a very talented youngster.

Many fans are calling for the club to include a low release clause just so some money will be made, even if he is sold in January. But the message sent in staying strong is worth more than any small transfer value.

Just like the Coutinho saga this past summer, Liverpool have to hold firm. Keeping Coutinho away from Barcelona was a real statement made by the club. When one of Europe's super clubs came in with an insane amount of money that most clubs won't have thought twice about rejecting, Liverpool stood firm and without hesitation rejected every offer that came their way. This showed that Liverpool won't be pushed around by any club. Now they need to show the same strength against any player. No player should be able to push over the club.

But it definitely is a bitter pill to swallow. You work so hard developing a young player for so long only to have another team get the best years out of him.

Can has definitely shown that he has the potential to be world class and Liverpool would obviously love to keep him if they can. But with just a few months remaining, until the 23-year-old can start talking to others teams, it seems very likely that Can won't be plying his trade at Anfield next season.