Liverpool Star Emre Can Dismisses 'False Stories' After International Return

Emre Can has criticised recent news as "false stories" after it was reported Liverpool would have to pay the midfielder £200,000 per week in order to convince him to extend his stay at the club. 

The Mirror's Tom Hopkinson reported on Sunday that Can wants to become Liverpool's highest earner. However, he took to Instagram on Monday evening upon returning from international duty with Germany, seemingly to address those claims: "I've just returned from international duty with the German team and working on coming back from injury. Interesting stories about me in the press! I'm no longer going to comment on any false stories or rumours! Looking forward to getting back on the pitch asap."

This Is Anfield carried Can's comments on their Twitter account:

Alex Richards of the Mirror also alluded to Can's Instagram story as being in reference to recent claims regarding his alleged contract demands, with his current deal due to expire in June.

Can's future has been a hot topic of debate at Anfield of late, although the club has some safety in knowing RB Leipzig star Naby Keita is en route this summer to at least help compensate any potential loss in midfield.

The Reds might be more frantic in their efforts to tie Can down to new terms if that wasn't the case, although his Instagram story suggests claims of wage demands may be wide of the mark.

That being said, the 24-year-old also hasn't been afraid to tease a departure from Merseyside and recently riled some Anfield supporters with comments given to German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, per Goal's Ronan Murphy:

Yet despite showing some inclination to leave Liverpool when talking to the press, Can has been promoted as a first-team star by manager Jurgen Klopp and has even captained the team on several occasions this year.

In the event he does leave Liverpool, it wouldn't be the first time former Bayern Munich trainee Can has made a difficult decision to leave for pastures new, per Yahoo Sport UK:

The Reds anchor has thus far been candid in his willingness to address the current situation, but Monday evening's Instagram post suggests the final months of his contract could pass without much media interaction.

Liverpool's asset is a young and gifted midfield force of international quality, but it's also unlikely the Reds would break the bank to keep him, whether claims of high wage demands prove true or not.

It's always been the case that Liverpool's 2017-18 accomplishments are likely to have a heavy influence on Can's end-of-season decision.