Emre Can Contract Talks At Impasse Over Potential Release Clause

Emre Can is a player that has had Liverpool fans excited since his transfer to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2014. So far this season, he’s been in magnificent form, putting in commanding midfield performances in the first five games. That’s why it’s all the more frustrating that the German international, who has only 12 months left on his contract, has yet to sign a new one with the club.

Now Dominic King has said that the conflict isn’t over wages or the player’s burning desire to join the Italian champions Juventus in January. The impasse currently faced by club and player comes from Can wanting a release clause inserted into any new contract that he signs, and the club resisting this concession.

It makes sense that FSG would be unenthusiastic about this prospect, considering that a lack of release clause is the reason why they were able to see off Barcelona’s interest in their star Philippe Coutinho.

The idea behind release clauses is that they give players more control over their careers while also providing their clubs with adequate compensation, should a player choose to push for a move. In many cases, the high asking price also serves as a deterrent against the interest of other clubs, though that’s not always true. Just ask Barcelona how they feel about that extra €222M in their pockets when it meant losing out on possibly the best young talent in world football. Or how secure they feel about Leo Messi’s reported €300M release clause in light of the events of this summer.

For Liverpool’s part, Klopp and the club have appeared at ease as negotiations with Can continue, and they still maintain that they will come to an agreement with the player.

Either way, if this is true, at least it’s not Can’s desperation to play for Juventus that is making him hold off on signing a new contract. In the mean time, if he continues to play as well as he has been, it might sway the club to bend in their firm stance and give him what he wants in order to keep him happy and with the club.