Emre Can Has Halted All Negotiations Until the End of the Season

If you missed the American commentating team on Fox calling him Yan the entire match against Porto count yourself lucky. It’s Emre Can, of course, with a sort of “j” plus “ch” sound, to my mono-lingual ears. He’s Liverpool’s midfield train. He’s brawny. And if you know anything about Can you know two things for certain. You know that his hair is the source of his power. And you know that he’s running down his contract at Liverpool.

We’ve been told the stickler in Can’s negotiations with the club has to do with the insertion of a release clause that Liverpool will not agree to include. This has been going on for a long time and to Emre’s credit we’ve heard nary a negative peep out of the German midfielder about the whole ordeal. Can has insisted for awhile now that his only concern is finishing the season as strongly as possible. And then, after that, he’ll get down to the business of probably walking away on a free.

Most of the chatter over Emre Can’s future involves Juventus, that notable, Spurs-defeating, juggernaut of Italian football. Rumours abound of Can agreeing this and that with Juventus but the player himself swears that neither his next club nor contract has been sorted out.

“Of course I have to think about my footballing future,” said Can.

“I haven’t signed for any club, I’m just focused on this season. We want to finish in second place in the Premier League, we’re in the Champions League quarter-finals and we want to progress. That’s all I’m focused on now.

“My agent has blocked all the negotiations, I’m thinking only of football.”

This one doesn’t look like it ends with Emre Can at Liverpool next season but if, truly, nothing has been committed then maybe there is a way that player and club can agree to terms once the season ends. Does Can leave a side that progresses to the Champions League semi-finals? Or the final, itself? Does Can leave a side that wins the Champions League?

If Liverpool haven’t caved in on the release clause by now, I’m not sure they’re going to. So, we’ll have to hope for something magical to happen between Emre’s last day and now. And if nothing magical happens, we’ll cobble together a modest brylcreem care package and send him on with our best.