Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 6y

Emre Can's Liverpool future 'not important' ahead of Champions League final - Jurgen Klopp

LIVERPOOL, England -- Jurgen Klopp says he has "no clue" about the future of Emre Can, but insists the midfielder is still "100 percent" committed to Liverpool as he battles to prove his fitness for the Champions League final.

Can's Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season and Juventus appear to be his most likely destination as a result of their long-standing interest in the 24-year-old.

Reports emerged on Monday claiming the Germany international is set to sign a five-year deal at the Italian club, with the move to be announced after Liverpool's European Cup final with Real Madrid on Saturday.

But speaking at a news conference on Monday afternoon, Klopp stressed he, for the time being, was unaware and not interested in Can's plans going forward.

"No clue. Not important in the moment, to be honest," Klopp said. "In this moment, he's 100 percent here and that's the only thing I'm interested in.

"I really have no idea. But that's not important to me in the moment."

Klopp revealed Can still has a chance of appearing in Kiev, Ukraine on the weekend, having not played for Liverpool since March after injuring his back.

Can took part in an open training session at Anfield on Monday and was part of the squad that travelled to Liverpool's warm-weather training camp in Marbella, Spain, last week.

"With Emre and players in the situation of Emre, it always depends on the reaction," Klopp added. "Let me say it like this: 10 days ago I didn't think it's possible that he could do what he did today and do what he did in Marbella already.

"That looked good and the impression was really positive. But we have to wait again until tomorrow.

"The door is, of course, open and it's really nice to have him back in the group. He's really desperate to be part [of the game]. We will see."

Liverpool's Premier League season concluded on May 13, while opponents Real played their final game of the La Liga campaign on Saturday -- a 2-2 draw at Villarreal.

Klopp says Liverpool are making the most of their 13-day gap between the end of the domestic season and the encounter at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium.

"A very good mood for the club, us, the boys, because we finished the season in the best way we could," he said. "That felt really good, to be honest.

"And then having the time we had now to prepare the game is really good. We could do a lot of things and we didn't have to rush it in two, three sessions, so the boys could recover and we could do a lot of good things in training.

"I don't want to talk about confidence or something like that, but yes we feel really good and we think we deserve to be where we are because the boys really showed up in all the different games.

"It was a very exciting journey so far and we want to bring it to the best possible end."

Liverpool are in their first Champions League final for 11 years, whereas Real are looking to secure their third successive triumph -- and fourth in five years -- in the competition.

The Reds will need to stop Cristiano Ronaldo, this season's top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals, if they are to win the club's sixth European Cup.

"Ronaldo is already in this kind of game 12, 15 years," Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren told a news conference. "Every year he scores more than 30 goals -- even if he has a bad season he scores 30 goals.

"When you want to stop Ronaldo, we will stop him together. Of course, in some parts of the game it will be one against one. It will be tough, but it's a challenge that I'm ready for. I've been working so hard to come to the final of the Champions League and I'm ready for everything."

Lovren added: "From my personal view, I always dreamed to be in the Champions League and to one day lift the trophy. Now we have the biggest chance of our lives. For some of us, it's maybe the only one. For some of us, there will hopefully be many more.

"Hopefully in many years from now, we can say to our kids and family that we did our best and we won the trophy. We have nothing to lose. We will give our best in the final and everyone is fit and ready. We just can't wait to start."

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