Juventus Transfer News: Emre Can Valuation Reported Amid Release-Clause Rumours

Juventus have reportedly decided the maximum they'll pay to sign Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, as the Italian giants seek to clarify whether their target will sign a new contract at Anfield.

Can's current deal expires at the end of this season, and Italian website Calciomercato.com reported Juve will pursue a move if the release clause in his prospective new contract is less than €30 million (£26.8 million).

It was reported by The Times' Paul Joyce (h/t Liverpool Echo's Neil Jones) in early September that Can was demanding a release clause be inserted in any new deal he signs, with the club "reluctant to agree."

This news comes after the Germany international talked up the reported interest coming from Turin and told German newspaper Kicker (h/t ITV) it was "an honour" to be linked with a club of Juve's stature:

The Bianconeri may understandably present a happy alternative to Liverpool right now, considering Can was part of the Reds lineup that suffered a 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

That loss was Liverpool's third of the campaign and left the Merseysiders with only one win in their last six Premier League outings as they sit ninth. Juventus, meanwhile, are third in Serie A and chasing a seventh successive Scudetto, not to mention finishing as UEFA Champions League runners-up in May.

After Philippe Coutinho stayed at Anfield following a very public summer pursuit from Barcelona, questions are being asked as to how Liverpool will convince their top talent to remain at the club in 2018.

While there is the possibility Juventus could sign Can for free when his deal expires, football writer Simon Austin recently looked to the positives and noted their struggles are coming alongside numerous key absences:

Perhaps the most worrying thing for Liverpool is Juve would be free to offer Can a pre-contract agreement in January after he enters the last six months of his contract.

Liverpool football writer Jack Lusby recently gave his view the 23-year-old likely won't be representing manager Jurgen Klopp's side for much longer:

A Bayern Munich academy graduate, Can moved to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014, and as mentioned in Jones' report, it was the Reds who took advantage of a release clause in order to acquire his talents.

Liverpool could still attempt to give Can a new contract containing a release clause high enough to ward off some of his admirers, with Juve reportedly setting their standard for how much they'd be willing to splash.