Liverpool’s star midfielder Emre Can has attracted the attention of Europe’s elite following an impressive run of form.

The Germany international’s current contract expires in the summer and he is still yet to pen fresh terms with the Reds. Can has entered the final six months of his contract and will be able to hold talks with foreign clubs from January 1 onwards.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his desire to keep Can at Anfield, calling on the club to convince the German international to stay. But any talks over a fresh deal for the midfielder appear to have hit a standstill.

According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t talkSPORT), La Liga giants Real Madrid are the latest side to have entered the race to sign Can from Liverpool in January.

Italian champions Juventus are very much interested in signing the tenacious midfielder when the transfer window opens in January. With a host of clubs sniffing around Can, Real do not seem to want to risk waiting until the summer and are hence ready to pounce on our player in January. However, it is believed Liverpool chiefs are unlikely to accept any offers unless a bid in excess of £15-20m is tabled.

Real boss Zinedine Zidane is keen to sign a midfielder in January and feels that Can is the ideal candidate to solve his midfield problems. Real have not enjoyed a positive start in the league and trail arch-rivals Barcelona by 8 points after 14 games.

Can, being a versatile player, could inspire life into the Real Madrid side that is desperate for some kind of lift at the moment. While the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco have underperformed, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have been struggling in front of goal.

The 23-year-old could be available at a cut-price and Zidane feels that the German is the player who can add the steel and bite to the side that has looked shaky at times.

Can joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014 and has since made 101 appearances, scoring 8 goals. He played the full 90 minutes as part of a back-three in our 5-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday. The German played a key role in our side’s win, scoring the opener in the 30th minute with a bullet header from a corner-kick.

We have a big assignment on Wednesday as we host Spartak Moscow at Anfield in the final Champions League group game. Let’s hope that Emre Can continues to stay with us until the summer as he is performing well for us at the moment.