According to SportBild, Arsenal are among the clubs interested in the services of Emre Can. The Juventus midfielder wasn’t included in the squad that travelled to Naples to face Napoli on Sunday, and a move away from Turin could be on the horizon. However, Can is tipped to move to Borussia Dortmund while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.
Can’s decline at Juventus
Can has had a difficult time since moving to Juventus in the summer of 2018, in a free transfer from Liverpool. While he featured in 29 league matches during his debut season in Serie A, only 20 of those were starts. His progress was halted by an illness that kept him out of action for five matches.
And in the summer, Can found himself down in the pecking order, following the summer arrivals of Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey. At the same time, Rodrigo Bentancur also started to become a more prominent part of the Juventus first-team. As a result, the German international has notched up only 279 minutes of league football so far.
He clearly isn’t favoured by current coach Maurizio Sarri. Hence, a move away from Turin makes sense even though his current contract expires in 2022.
Why Can would be an ideal signing for Arsenal
Can could be a viable target for Arsenal multiple reasons. The Gunners lack depth in the midfield department, with Mikel Arteta primarily utilising the trifecta of Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka. The addition of Can, in that regard, could provide competition in the midfield department.
His defensive nature would help fortify the Arsenal midfield that hasn’t quite provided enough support to the backline this season. But more importantly, it is Can’s versatility that could seriously be useful for Arteta.
Indeed, the German international, aside from his preferred defensive midfield role, can operate in central defence as well. He could be an ideal right-sided centre-back, partnering David Luiz. His physicality, coupled with his aggressive nature, could tune in well with the Premier League.
The ex-Bayer Leverkusen star has considerable experience at the highest level of football, especially in the Premier League, having played for Liverpool for four years. Therefore, he shouldn’t take much time settling into life at Emirates – making him an ideal target for the Gunners.
At the same time, however, Arsenal would undoubtedly need to outbid Borussia Dortmund if they are to secure the services of the Juventus star this January.
