Emre Can will not return to Liverpool next season, the Premier League club confirmed on Friday.
The 24-year-old midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the month, and thus has been named on the list of definite departures, which includes Reds academy graduate Jon Flanagan.
Goal confirmed reports Can has agreed a four-year contract to join Serie A champion Juventus, as the Italian giants gear up to try to capture an eighth straight league title, though the deal has yet to be announced.
Can joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverksuen in 2014, making 167 appearances for the club during his time at Anfield. The Germany international lined up primarily in the central midfield, but also featured on occasion as a defender.
He scores six goals in all competitions this past season, which was shortened by a back injury suffered in March. While not originally deemed serious, Can would go on to miss the remainder of the Premier League season for Liverpool, only regaining fitness in time to make a brief substitute appearance in Liverpool’s 3-1 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid on May 26.
The injury likely contributed to Can missing out on Germany’s World Cup roster as well.
Flanagan will also be leaving Anfield after the club declined to offer the defender a new contract.
He played 51 senior games with Liverpool after his debut in 2011, with the bulk coming in a break through 2013-14 campaign in which he started 23 Premier League games. But injuries sidetracked his career afterward, and he has since featured in just 11 Premier League games for the Reds.
In addition, Flanagan pled guilty to assaulting his girlfriend this past January and was sentenced to a 12 month community order and 40 hours of unpaid work.
Liverpool, at the time, declared their “disappointment and anger” with Flanagan over the assault.
Later that month he was sent on loan to Bolton in the Championship, where he appeared in nine games.
Flanagan’s contract had not been due to expire for another year.
Liverpool also announced the departures of Toni Gomes, Paulo Alves, Mich'el Parker, Jordan Williams, Anthony Glennon, Jordan Hunter,Harvey Whyte and Yan Dhanda.
