Mourinho out to make history by snaring Liverpool star to Man Utd

Jose Mourinho is reportedly ‘hell bent’ on getting one over on Liverpool by luring Emre Can to Manchester United this summer.

Transfers between the two clubs are rarer than a month of Sundays, with the last transfer between the clubs going through way back in 1964 when Phil Chisnall moved from Old Trafford to Anfield for a £25,000 fee.

And despite United not landing a player directly from their rivals since the 1939 signing of Allenby Chilton, that hasn’t stopped the Italian media claiming Mourinho has contacted the agent of Can to discuss a possible free transfer move this summer.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man falls out of contract at the end of the season and has been heavily tipped to sign for Juventus. Both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also reportedly keen, while there has also been interest in Can from Manchester City.

However, Il Corriere dello Sport claims United have contacted Can’s agent to discuss the possibility of a sensational free transfer move to Old Trafford in the summer. As unlikely as the deal seems, Can is yet to sign a new deal at Anfield and could yet be persuaded to create history by making the move.

 

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Furthermore, Mourinho’s desire to ‘get one over’ Liverpool and lure the player to Old Trafford could yet prove a telling factor – and there’s no doubting the transfer would send shockwaves through the footballing world given the rarity of deals between the clubs.

It would also probably make Can something of a hate figure not seen on these shores since Sol Campbell left Tottenham to join Arsenal on a free transfer.

 

All things considered though, Juventus remain favourites to sign the player on a free at the end of the season and given their long-standing interest in the midfielder.

The Serie A champions had been mooted as a possible destination for the player this month, but any hopes of a deal have seemingly been ruled out by Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.

When questioned by Calciomercato whether they would look to sign him this month, Allegri told a new conference: “Emre Can? I’ve asked nothing to the club.

“We have an important squad. It is important not to lower the quality of the team and remain focused on our targets.”

 

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