Juventus will do all they can to sign Liverpool's Emre Can, insists club chief Beppe Marotta
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is not confident that Can will remain at Anfield beyond this summer.
Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta insists the Italian champions will do "everything possible" to sign Liverpool midfielder Emre Can but admits a deal to bring the Germany international to Turin will not be easy amid possible interest from other clubs.
Can is in the final knockings of his contract at Anfield and is widely expected to leave Merseyside in the summer after failing to pen fresh terms with Jurgen Klopp's side, who will welcome Naby Keita from RB Leipzig in the summer after agreeing a £55m deal with the Bundesliga outfit a few months ago.
Liverpool boss Klopp admitted after his side's FA Cup defeat by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (27 January) that the prospect of Can leaving on a free transfer is a distinct possibility. Juventus CEO Marotta, who has had no qualms with publicising his side's pursuit of the 24-year-old in recent months, confirmed that Massimiliano Allegri's men are in talks with Can over a summer move but any agreement is far from cut and dried due to interest from other clubs and Liverpool's desire to tie him down to a new long-term contract.
"We have an opportunity to aim for important objectives when there is the opportunity to do so," the general manager told RMC Sport, relayed by Football Italia.
"Emre Can's contract is expiring in June 2018. It's been assumed that a club like ours have their eyes and attention on him. We've opened talks with his camp, but it doesn't mean that it's done.
"It won't be easy because Liverpool will try to renew his contract, without forgetting the alternative possibility that other clubs will try to sign him. We'll make every possible effort to bring him in."
Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Can, though their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred suggests that they are pursuing other targets at present. Can offered Liverpool hope that he would sign a new contract a couple of weeks ago, but Klopp is not hopeful of seeing his compatriot remain under his tutelage beyond this summer.
"Sometimes a player just wants to sit out his contract. That's not cool for the club, but there are moments in which you have to accept it," Klopp said late last week.
"And as long as the player behaves like Emre does, then I have absolutely nothing to complain about. He gives everything he has and identifies with the club."
