Liverpool are getting closer to signing Stuttgart captain Wataru Endo in a deal that is expected to cost around €18 million (£15.4 million). While the move has raised eyebrows in some quarters, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the 30-year-old could be a good fit at Anfield.
Much to their chagrin, the Reds were turned down by a number of high-profile midfield targets earlier this summer, prompting Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team to think outside the box in order to locate fresh players.
Wataru Endo was identified as a possible answer to Liverpool’s midfield issue by Pool’s new sporting director Jörg Schmadtke, who was appointed in May, and the Premier League giants moved quickly overnight to complete the transfer.
Endo is set to have a physical on Thursday before signing a contract with Liverpool, but where will the Japanese international fit in?
Wataru Endo to strengthen Liverpool’s midfield?
When Liverpool drew 1-1 against Chelsea on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, they appeared to lose their way after a promising start at Stamford Bridge, and Jurgen Klopp’s midfield’s lack of ball-winning prowess appeared to contribute to their loss of control.
With the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, the Reds suddenly have far more silk than steel in central areas, a situation that Klopp has been working hard to remedy.
Moves for two highly rated holding midfielders, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, fell through, but Wataru Endo could help to shore up the Reds’ overexposed defense.
Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the Bundesliga, which compares favorably to ex-Liverpool favourite Fabinho’s output of 1.8 per 90 in the Premier League, while Endo also measured up to the Brazilian in fouls (1.2 to 1.5 per game), a metric commonly associated with talented midfield destroyers.
While it’s unclear whether Endo will be an immediate first-team starter at Anfield, the Japanese star has the ability to compensate for some of the tenacity Liverpool has lost in midfield.
Endo might play as the deepest midfielder in Jurgen Klopp’s central trio, with fellow summer acquisitions Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Mac Allister pushed further forward.
Liverpool looking to add more midfielders?
Wataru Endo isn’t the last midfielder anticipated to leave Anfield before the transfer market closes.
Liverpool have been connected with bids for Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone.
Kone, in particular, would be the type of quintessential midfield disruptor that Jurgen Klopp so clearly loves, albeit his arrival from Die Fohlen would almost probably push Wataru Endo into a more rotating role on Merseyside.
With so many moving parts, Liverpool’s midfield might look very different by September 1st, yet Wataru Endo has the determination to provide a very helpful option for Liverpool if given the chance to shine.
