Why Liverpool Would Do Well To Hold On To Emre Can
Emre Can has been the sort of enigma that world football has become used to, one with gallons of promise as a youngster, been at a number of high profile clubs, but failing to really capitalise on the unmissable talent. Ever since his arrival at Liverpool in 2014, he has shown glimpses of his class but had failed to translate it into tangible results.
However, the arrival of Jurgen Klopp in late 2015 changed all that, as the former Bayer Leverkusen player finally met a manager who was willing to place his faith in him and let him play freely. That move has paid dividends for Klopp, as the German international has been at the heart of a mini-revolution at Anfield, with the Merseysiders now playing the sort of fast, exciting counter-attacking football we are used to seeing under Klopp. Now with just a year left on his contract, Can has reportedly been contacted by a number of big clubs like Juventus.
Jurgen Klopp, should, however, know fully well that it is mandatory that he keeps the 23-year-old at the club if he wants Liverpool to make a much-awaited return to Europe’s elite.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss has painstakingly put together a team that is capable of deploying his famous Gegenpressing and that was evident in the game against Arsenal, where Can, Henderson and Wijnaldum completely overran a Gunners midfield comprising of Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka. Can was at the centre of it all, running up and down the pitch and donning the role of a box-to-box midfielder who was always near the action.
He was also exceptional in their Champions League qualifier against Hoffenheim last week, scoring twice in the 4-2 win in the second leg. The former Bayern Munich reserves player has demonstrated his excellent qualities repeatedly, and he could be a valuable asset to the team in the long run.
Under such circumstances, it is imperative for the English club to keep Can at the club for many years, and not sell him in this window or even in the next one as well. His contributions, in both the offensive and defensive parts of the pitch, should see him become a player of the mould of a Sami Khedira or a Sergio Busquets, someone who rarely gets the limelight but is the most important cog of the team that links the defence lines to the final third.
The German has made a stellar rise over the past year or so, but he has some reservations about his role in the team and also his pay cheque. However, given how good he is and how good he can turn out to be, Liverpool should do everything in their power to ward off potential suitors and ensure that he sees his future nowhere other than Liverpool.