Juventus make move to sign Liverpool's Emre Can when window reopens

Liverpool's Emre Can embraces manager Jurgen Klopp

Serie A champions Juventus are lining up a January move for Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, according to reports in Italy.

Can, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014, has started the season in fantastic form, but his current contract expires next summer.

And with the player yet to agree to an extension, the Italian press is speculating that Juventus will test the waters by reaching out to the player’s representatives in January.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus will offer the player a contract in January when they are permitted to draw up a pre-contract. The club’s general manager, Beppe Marotta, is quoted as saying “we have already said several times we intend to start formal negotiations with the Germany international in January.”

Meanwhile, Barcelona have claimed that Liverpool named their price for Philippe Coutinho - but they were unwilling to pay it.

Barca embarked on a lengthy pursuit of the Brazilian following the £200m departure of Neymar to PSG with Coutinho himself submitting a formal transfer request following two failed bids.

Club sources have insisted all summer - and still insist - that the midfielder was not for sale at any price but Barcelona director of professional sports Albert Soler claims that stance changed on deadline day in Spain.

“On Friday, after weeks of offers and talks, Liverpool put a price on the player that we wanted [Coutinho],” he said alongside sporting director Robert Fernandez in a news conference on Saturday.

“A price of €200m and we decided we wouldn't do it. That's an example of the way football is now. This club and this board will not get involved in that, though. What's happened in the transfer market this summer has taken us to a totally different model of football which we're not used to.”