Emre Can looks as though he will soon have his move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen confirmed after the strong rumours seemed to be verified on Wednesday evening by the German side’s chief executive. Michael Schade announced that he could “confirm that an official offer from Liverpool is received by mail”. The German under 21 star; once on the books of Bayern Munich, has been putting in impressive performances all season long, even popping up with the odd goal from a deep-lying midfield role. He has drawn praise from close and afar for his general effect on a match and seems to have done more than enough to attract Liverpool’s scouts.
After leaving Bayern’s set-up where he was not provided with a great deal of opportunities to impress in the first team, there was a clause written into his new contract providing an advantage to the Bavarians if they wanted Can to return in the future. Working in a similar fashion to the idea of a ‘first refusal’, the required transfer fee from Bayern is less than that for any other club. However, it seems that either Pep Guardiola was not interested in a return for Emre Can to the Allianz Arena, or that they did not match this lowered figure. Either way, Liverpool appear to have submitted a satisfactory offer; rumoured to be £9.75 million, and with that jumped ahead of rival bidders.
Brendan Rodgers has seemingly identified his desired targets early on in the window, moving quickly to secure the acquisition and now the almost inevitable signatures of Alberto Moreno and Emre Can. The Northen Irish manager has seen where The Reds need to strengthen and has not wasted any time in the recruitment process. Another option up front was required along with reinforcements at left back, and he is not wrong with his advances for a central midfielder. Liverpool just about coped with Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, and Lucas as the front-line players in this position, but with more fixtures being an inevitability for the coming campaign, more options are absolutely necessary.
Emre Can has all the qualities required to be a top central midfielder in any league in the world, but the Premier League is perhaps the most complete test. The German is physically strong enough to not be dominated in the middle of the park, he is tall and leggy allowing him to get about the pitch, and has a great range of passing. As with all of this current crop of German stars, Can’s skills on the ball are in the top bracket and this would fit Rodgers’ philosophy that he has instilled in his entire squad. As Gerrard ages by another year and Lucas is increasingly hit with injuries and inconsistency, another youthful face in the squad would be a welcome addition.
Ever since Henderson’s emergence as an integral part of Liverpool’s midfield after a sticky start to his Anfield career, he has been touted as a possible replacement for Steven Gerrard. Personally, I don’t think you are likely to be able to find another player of comparable quality to the Liverpool skipper, but the pairing of Can and the former Sunderland man contribute some of Gerrard’s best qualities. Henderson’s boundless energy is reminiscent of a younger Gerrard who used to work brilliantly from box to box, and Can is able to fulfil the enforcer role that Gerrard now finds himself carrying out to such aplomb. It is a fact that the veteran cannot play twice a week anymore for the whole season and Can’s presence in the squad along with the abilities he brings to the table allow for some much needed rotation.
Should the move indeed go through in the coming days, it will be another transfer to go along with Rickie Lambert that represents great value for Brendan Rodgers. Obtaining a possibly brilliant German with the potential to grow into one of the great registas for less than £10 million is nothing less than a fantastic piece of business.