Liverpool are interested in signing £20.7m-rated Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka as the race to find a replacement for Emre Can hots up. According to ESPN, the Reds are bracing themselves to the potential exit of Can by going for another exciting midfielder.

Can has entered the final year of his contract and it looks highly unlikely that the German would sign an extension with the Reds. The discussions have been protracted between the player and the club but there has not been a breakthrough.

It is well known that the player wants a release clause in his contract and the club isn’t willing to insert one; and even if they agree to add one, it would be at a value that the club feels is the true value of their player.

This has put the talks at an impasse and it has led to speculation that the German will leave Anfield at the end of the season. With his contract set to expire next summer, Can is even allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is hopeful of finding a favourable solution, but the club has already started looking for potential replacements. That plan includes Leon Goretzka too.

Interestingly, the 22-year-old midfielder plays in a similar position to Can, and is in the final year of his contract at Schalke. He is set to leave Bundesliga and is not short of suitors. Having impressed recently with the club and on national duty, the energetic midfielder is expected to fight for a place in the German national team for the World Cup.

This means that the youngster’s value could rise in the near future, which explains Schalke’s desperation to extend his contract. However, it looks certain that the midfielder would leave them at the end of the season.

Will that be to Liverpool? Goretzka could be lured by the prospect of working with Klopp, who still holds the sway in Bundesliga as one of the most sought-after managers.

However, Liverpool will have an uphill battle on their hands, as a free agent will garner more attention from other clubs; that too, a player of the calibre of Goretzka.

Can the Reds advance with their interest and snatch the midfielder?