Liverpool shopped in Germany this week and found a player with “Can-do” spirit.
Emre Can is set to become the Reds’ second summer signing after Liverpool agreed in principle to transfer him from Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, according to LiverpoolFC.com.
Multiple sources report that Can will cost Liverpool £9.75 million ($16.3 million) — the value of his release clause. The deal will become official July 1 when the transfer window opens for English clubs, but Can has already signed with Reds.
Can, 20, can play a number of positions, including defensive and attacking midfield, left wing, central defense and left back.
Can started 32 games in all competitions last season, scoring four goals and providing four assists. Can helped Bayer Leverkusen finished fourth in Germany’s Bundesliga (first division) and reach the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.
Can has played for Germany’s youth national teams at every level (from U-15 to U-21) but has yet to appear for the senior national team. The German-born Can also is eligible to play for Turkey through his ancestry.
Last summer, Can joined Bayer Leverkusen from Bayern Munich for £4.4 million ($7.4 million). Karl-Heinz Rummenigge once called him “one of the biggest talents in German football,” but the Bayern Munich chairman allowed Can to leave the club in order to play more games at this formative stage in his career.
Can joins Rickie Lambert among the Reds’ summer reinforcements as they prepare to mount another twin challenges for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles.
Photo via Twitter/@EurosportCom_EN
