Liverpool midfielder Emre Can 'agrees deal' with Juventus ahead of summer transfer

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has reportedly agreed terms with Italian champions Juventus ahead of a summer move to Turin, all but ending manager Jurgen Klopp's hopes of tying him down to a new long-term contract at Anfield.

Can, 23, is entering the final six months of his deal on Merseyside and is not likely to sign a new contract after talks between his representatives and Reds officials failed to progress sufficiently. It is believed that the Germany international wanted a release clause to be inserted in his prospective new contract at Anfield, a request Liverpool were not prepared to accommodate.

The failure to budge to each other's terms has left Liverpool resigned to losing the former Bayern Munich midfielder for nothing at the end of the season, with Italian outlet Tuttosport claiming that Can has already agreed terms with Juventus, who have made no secret of their interest in the midfielder.

Juve chief executive Beppe Marotta has spoken about the Bianconeri's interest in Can a number of times in recent months and also recently touched on the prospect of signing Liverpool and Barcelona target Leon Goretzka, whose contract with current club Schalke expires at the end of the season.

Can's seemingly inevitable arrival at the Allianz Stadium will be a bitter pill for Liverpool to swallow, given that they have helped him develop significantly and rejected a £22.6m bid from Juve for the versatile German in the summer.

Can has made 15 appearances for the Reds in all competitions this season and remains an important part of the Liverpool first-team set-up, despite his apparent desire to further his career elsewhere. Juventus may offer the Merseysiders a cut-price fee in order to accelerate Can's move to Italy, but any offer from the Serie A giants will likely fall well below the midfielder's market value.

The news of Can's apparent agreement will come as a blow to Klopp, who will welcome RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita to Anfield next summer. The former Borussia Dortmund boss has publicly stated his desire to see Can commit his future to Liverpool, and is hoping an agreement can still be reached between now and the end of the season.

"[Can] could still sign a contract in May," Klopp said last week. "We want to keep him. We have to be as attractive as possible as a club."