Liverpool writer explains why £15m move for former midfielder could be a steal for Man Utd

Posted Nov 14 2019, 17:52 by Ben Parsons

Liverpool writer explains why £15m move for former midfielder could be a steal for Man Utd

Juventus midfielder Emre Can is reportedly ready to leave this summer after failing to impress boss Mauricio Sarri.

According to Calciomercato, the 25-year-old is available for as little as £15m this summer, despite having a release clause of around £39m.

United have surprisingly emerged as contenders to sign the German international in January with Sky Sports reporting last month that the Reds were considering a January move.

Stretty News spoke to Liverpool fan and Empire of the Kop writer Ste Carson about the midfielder who spent four years at Anfield.

What could Can offer that United don’t already have in midfield?

I think Emre has a bit of a spark to him that United have lacked since Ander Herrera left for PSG. As a Liverpool fan, I hated the Spaniard, which could surely only been a good thing for you guys! Yeah – Can has a mean streak in him, a bit like a Gennaro Gattuso, which I think every midfield needs.

What concerns would you have about Can at United?

He was more than capable of going missing in games. That being said, he is now a couple years older and wiser for it. But during his time at Liverpool, you couldn’t depend on him like you would Steven Gerrard or even Gini Wijnaldum to come up with some magic.

Can was often accused of being a lazy player whilst at Liverpool? Do you echo this point of view?

I don’t think lazy is the right word, but I can understand how some people can see that in him. He was certainly capable of putting in needless tackles on opposition players. Maybe he’s a bit sloppy? When he was at Liverpool, I saw him as a midfield maestro who wore his heart on his sleeve.

What is Can’s best position?

I’d say Emre is best as a box-to-box midfielder, but has the ability to play as a No.6. He has a surprising amount of pace, and he’s a strong as an ox, so the man has no problems breaking through defences to add some steel to the attack. So, in short, his best position is probably the traditional No.8.

And finally, do you think the Reds should make the move?

You’d struggle to find a 25-year-old player with his ability for a fee of £15million. And it’s never a bad thing to have a healthy relationship with a club like Juventus. The only down-side is the Liverpool connection, but that’ll bother us more than you guys as you’ll have a talented player in Can.