Juventus have handed a boost to Liverpool’s hopes of keeping Emre Can.
Can’s current Anfield deal is set to expire at the end of this season, leaving him eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs from this month.
Talks between the midfielder’s representatives and the Reds remain ongoing but a decision on his future is unlikely to be made before late May at the earliest.
A move to Juventus had appeared a logical move for Can, with the reigning Serie A champions regularly confirming their interest in recent weeks.
However the club’s general manager Beppe Marotta admits that their pursuit of the Germany international will not be as easy as initially thought.
“The interest is clear,” he told Premium Sport.
“We want to try and bring him to us, but we cannot do it because he currently has a contract with Liverpool.
“He could renew it and, moreover, there are other teams interested in him.
“We want to try and bring him to Turin. I am stating this with full awareness that he might not arrive.
“But we need to have important objectives.”