Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images
Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur all see Can as a potential January reinforcement.
Liverpool just drew with League One’s Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup, a famous result for their opponents and an unnecessary complication for Jürgen Klopp. So it seems as though it might be a good time to clear our palates with a stupid transfer rumour.
And on that front, somehow, there isn’t even anything all that tasty or ridiculous or tastily ridiculous to dig into from a Liverpool point of view. Though there’s some fun with ex-Red Emre Can. So let’s talk about that, and his potential Premier League return.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Can’s Italian odyssey has been a disaster, and this season under Maurizio Sarri he has been limited to a grand total of eight appearances and 279 minutes of action—or about 35 minutes in each of those appearances.
He only started two of those matches, going a mere 53 minutes in one and 72 in the other. He was left unregistered for Europe by Sarri and so hasn’t appeared even on the bench there for Juventus. So naturally there’s been plenty of talk about a move.
The latest rumblings have five teams looking to capitalise on Can’s miserable Juventus season including three Premier League clubs. And it’s perhaps not surprising that it’s the three also-rans this season amongst the big clubs who are said to be interest.
Arsenal, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur—all having disappointed in varying ways and to varying degrees, and all trying to catch up with Chelsea in fourth. And all, at least on paper, would seem as though they would benefit from Can’s arrival.
The complicating factor are Can’s wages, worth around a quarter of a million pounds per week due to the deal he signed as a free agent with Juventus not having to cough up a transfer fee. If he’s willing to take a pay cut, though, a deal could be done.
A return to Germany could also be an option for the 26-year-old, with Dortmund and Bayern Munich meant to be interested—but wages would be an even bigger stumbling block if Can decided he wanted to head back to Germany at this stage in his career.
So. There it is. Bild is saying as much, the Italian press are, too, and the English tabloids are ahopping on the bandwagon. Juventus want him gone, so if Can wants to play, there’s a good chance he ends up back in England before the end of the month.
