Emre Can to Juventus? Alessandro Del Piero hopes Serie A club complete midfielder deal in January

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero is hoping his former club can wrap up a deal for Liverpool midfielder Emre Can when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Serie A club have made their interest in signing the midfielder known in recent months and are even said to have failed with an approach during the summer transfer window.

Can has entered the final seven months of his contract with the Merseyside club and is yet to agree an extension. The German midfielder can begin talks with clubs outside England and sign a pre-contract to join them on a free transfer in the summer.

Apart from Juventus, Bavarian giants Bayern Munich and Premier League side Manchester City are also monitoring his situation. Pep Guardiola's side are said to be ready to trump the Serie A side's contract offer of €5m-a-year (£4.45m, $5.9m) to land the midfielder next summer.

Juventus are keen to sign the midfielder and if he does not a sign a deal with Liverpool before the New Year, the Italian club could look to seal a permanent move in January, as the Reds will be keen to extract a fee rather than lose the midfielder on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Del Piero has hailed Can's qualities and believes that he will be an ideal addition to the team. The ex-Italy star is confident that he can form a strong partnership with their current midfielders Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira.

"Maybe Juve can close a deal in January," Del Piero was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo.

"They need someone like him. He has great physical strength, and would be a great fit alongside Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic in the centre of the pitch," the 2006 World Cup winner added.

Can, meanwhile, has been coy on his future plans and has refused to indicate if he will remain with Jurgen Klopp's side beyond the current campaign. The Germany international acknowledged Juventus' interest and has revealed that he could sign for the Italian side in January, but also refused to rule out extending his deal with Liverpool.

Several reports suggested that money and the want of a release clause was holding up the deal, but Can made it clear that the amount of wages had no role to play in the negotiations between the club and his representatives.

"Why do you ask me this?" Can told the Liverpool Echo after Liverpool's win over Stoke City on 29 November. "Really, I concentrate on this season and let my agent handle all the rest.

"It is not about money, that's all I can say," he explained. "Yes, I could (sign a pre-contract with another club next month), but tomorrow I could also sign for Liverpool. We'll see."