Emre Can won’t sign a new contract with Liverpool unless there’s a release clause

The player has entered the final 12 months of his contract.

Contract negotiations between Emre Can and Liverpool have reportedly stalled. The German midfielder, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £9.75m in 2014, has less than a year remaining on his contract, and could leave the club on a free transfer next summer. According to reports in The Independent and The Daily Mail, Can's representatives and Liverpool have been in talks for over a year about extending his stay at Anfield, but have been unable to make progress. The sticking point appears to be Can's reported insistence on the club including a release clause in his new contract. Liverpool signed Can from Leverkusen by triggering his release clause, and it appears the 23-year-old wants to keep his options open in the future. The standoff is not said to be due to money. While it won't please Liverpool fans, Can is probably wise to insist on such a clause in his contract. If Philippe Coutinho had managed to include a release clause in his five-year contract signed with Liverpool back in January, then he would probably be a Barcelona player now. The same applies to Virgil van Dijk, who handed in a transfer request, after previously signing a five-year contract with Southampton, but was unable to secure a move. According to This is Anfield, Liverpool refused to include a release clause in Coutinho's contract and will do the same with Can. It's also easy to understand why Liverpool are against inserting a release clause in contracts, particularly considering how inflated the market has become. If the current rate of spending continues, £60m could become the starting price for half-decent Premier League midfielders. Can has been linked with a move to Juventus, and if he continues his impressive form from the first three games of the Premier League season, he won't be short of options if the contract standoff with Liverpool continues.