Emre Can has been linked with a move to Juventus in the summer by Daily Star while his contract negotiation doesn’t seem to be reaching a conclusion. It has been informed by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo that so far Liverpool are not willing to match Emre’s wage demands and that negotiations are on. He has told that the Reds will not keep hold of Can in the final year of his contract if he doesn’t sign a new one and will cash in on him.
“I wouldn’t say Emre Can is definitely off but his future is certainly up in the air,” Pearce responded as part of a Q&A on Tuesday. “He has been stalling over a new contract and clearly believes he’s worth more than Liverpool are offering. Hopefully, it will be sorted before the end of the season. If he doesn’t sign then it’s likely he will be sold because I can’t see Liverpool letting him enter the final year of his current contract.”
Emre Can has been really effective for Liverpool ever since he arrived and has already notched up over 100 appearances for the club. It is impressive considering that he is only in his 3rd season at Anfield. He is a player who brings trust and power to midfield and is only 23-years old. However, it is worrying that he has been inconsistent this season when compared to the two previous ones.
It is not necessarily a bothering issue given that the manager has full faith in the player and it is safe to say he would bounce back from a dip in form.
While it is seemingly possible that his promising Liverpool career might come to a premature end this summer, we have a look at players who can potentially replace the young German at Anfield.
1) Vincent Koziello
Vincent Koziello is a young French midfielder from France and plays for OGC Nice. He is a youth product of the French club and was promoted to the first team in 2014. He made his debut for Nice when he came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute to replace Gregory Peul in their 1-3 home defeat to Lyon. Since then, Koziello has been a regular player for OGC Nice.
Nice narrowly escaped relegation in 2013/14 season by finishing 17th with a total of 42 points, just 2 more than 18th placed Sochaux. Since then, OGC Nice have shown remarkable improvement in their performances.
Lucien Favre promoted Koziello to The Eaglets’ first team in 2014/15 season and the midfielder already has 66 appearances for the club. Koziello scored 3 goals and provided 6 assists last season and was very effective for the French club, who finished 4th that season. The youngster’s rise and the club’s rise has coincided and the club has so far been challenging for the Ligue 1 title with the arrival of the controversial Mario Balotelli. Koziello so far has scored one goal this season in 18 domestic appearances.
He is an all-round midfielder who can pass and also go for the tackles. Though he is weak in Aerial play, which is because of his diminutive nature, his overall gameplay is perfect for a typical central midfielder.
He is just 21 years old and is beginning to find his feet at a club who are rising steadily. If Klopp needs a replacement for Can, the young Frenchman could be an option. Though he is not as physically well-built like Can, he can bring a lot to Liverpool’s gameplay with his abilities on and off the ball.
2) Ellyes Skhiri
Similar to Koziello, Ellyes Skhiri is a young midfielder from France, playing for Tunisia because of his parents’ Tunisian descendency. He is a youth product of Montpellier and has made 57 appearances for Montpellier B team from 2012-15. In 2015, he made his debut for Montpellier when he replaced Paul Lasne in extra-time in a 1-0 defeat away from home.
He has played 26 times for Montpellier this season in domestic competitions and has really found his feet. He has scored one goal for the club and given that he plays in a deeper midfield role, goals are not the criteria he must be judged upon. In 22 appearances in the league this season, he has won 41 tackles of an attempted 116 and has completed 22 take-ons out of 25 in total, which is an astonishing 88%. This shows that he is an action packed player, capable of holding the ball and supplying it to teammates. He has also won 60% of his aerial duels, which counts to 53.
He has also made 68 interceptions and has 7 blocks to his name. Skhiri is a solid presence in the midfield area and is strong in his defensive duties. Though he is not a like-to-like replacement of Can, the youngster can be moulded into a player that suits Klopp’s requirements.
3) Marco Benassi
Marco Benassi is a product of Modena, who moved to Inter in 2011 on a temporary basis.
Benassi has played 77 times for Torino since joining them and has scored 11 goals overall. At 22, he has already captained Torino in their game against Fiorentina, which they won 2-1 with the Italian midfielder scoring one of their 2 goals.
Marco is a talented, hard-working and complete midfielder. He can play anywhere in the central midfield and can play as both a defensive and an attacking midfielder.
He has extremely good vision and also makes dangerous runs to suffocate the opposition. At 6ft tall, he is also physically strong and dynamic in his gameplay, capable of testing the opposition goalkeeper from distance.
Marco Benassi would be a massive upgrade on Emre Can and Liverpool fans can count themselves lucky if the player catches the attention of Jurgen Klopp.
