Juventus Transfer News: Beppe Marotta Comments on Emre Can Rumours

Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta has opened up on the rumours linking the Italian champions with Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, confirming the Bianconeri have reached out to the Germany international.

As reported by the The Independent, the CEO remains cautious regarding the team's chances of signing the Anfield player:

"Emre Can's contract is expiring in the summer so you would expect that a club like ours have attention on him.

"We have initiated contact but it does not mean it's done. It will not be easy as Liverpool also want to renew his contract, without forgetting that there will be other clubs in for him. Our attempt is made with every effort possible."

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Can has been linked with Juventus for some time now, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, non-British clubs such as the Old Lady are free to negotiate a pre-contract in January.

Liverpool are still hopeful he will sign a long-term deal at Anfield, but those chances appear to grow slimmer with every passing day.

Supporters such as those at This is Anfield are unsure how the club should handle the situation:

Most fans and pundits seem to believe Can has already made up his mind, and he will leave Liverpool in the summer. He remains committed to the club's present, however, and has been in reasonable form during the 2017-18 campaign.

He has also played regularly, despite the uncertainty regarding his future, and it has made for an awkward situation. Other prospective free agents have often been benched in the past but that usually had to do with those players no longer giving it their all.

Manager Jurgen Klopp weighed in on the situation recently, and he believes there's little to be done at this point, per Sky Sports PL:

Juventus are arguably the kings of the free-agent market, routinely picking up star players, young talent and strong veterans on free transfers. In the last decade, the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Sami Khedira, Paul Pogba, Dani Alves and Fernando Llorente have all joined the club after their contracts ran out.

It's no wonder they are all over Can as well―the former Bayer Leverkusen star is still just 24 and represents tremendous value on a free transfer. For a Juventus midfield that could use more depth and youth, he would be an excellent capture, and he could pair with Rodrigo Bentancur to give the Serie A side a formidable duo for years to come.

The Bianconeri have time on their side, but until Can signs on the dotted line, Marotta is right not to feel too confident, even if the links have been frequent.