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A day after word broke that Liverpool had agreed terms in principle with Emre Can's representatives and triggered his €12M release clause, the club have today announced the signing in principle of the 20-year-old midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen. All details have been agreed and, subject to documentation the deal will go through shortly.
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Can spent only a year at Leverkusen, arriving last summer after spending most of his youth career at Bayern Munich. He made 39 appearances, scoring four goals and four assists as a high-energy midfielder. He can also cover at left back and in the centre of defence. Born in Frankfurt and of Turkish descent, he has regularly represented Germany at every youth level.
"Emre Can has developed very quickly at Bayer 04 Leverkusen over the past twelve months," said Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Machael Schade this morning. "We wanted to keep Emre at Leverkusen but the release clause is part of his contract. So we wish him all the best and lots of success in his time in the Premier League."
Given his age and relative bargain fee, few will expect Can to walk into the starting eleven at Liverpool, though he is likely to be heavily involved in the rotation. He projects as Liverpool's long-term answer in the holding midfielder role and will likely get games there, with his ability to play in defence and also to contribute higher up the pitch offering further possibilities.
