After being “lifted by” Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia by Chelsea, Liverpool finally strengthened the midfield with the sale of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart. So who is “firefighter” Endo?
According to The Athletic, Liverpool are close to reaching an agreement to sign Stuttgart midfielder Wataru Endo. Sources in Germany have revealed that a deal worth around 19 million euros (£16.2 million) is nearing completion. Negotiations are underway and the Japanese star has been allowed to travel to the Merseyside team to finalize the transfer.
Endo has established himself as an indispensable pillar in the midfield of both Stuttgart and the Japanese national team. The 30-year-old, nicknamed “The Bodyguard”, started his career at Shonan Bellmare, playing for Urawa Red Diamonds for two seasons, before joining Belgian side Sint-Truiden in 2018. After that, he played for Stuttgart on loan 1 season and made a special impression that caused the German team to activate the clause to buy him permanently in the summer of 2020.
And it didn’t take long for Endo to make coach Sebastian Hoeness not hesitate to appoint him as Stuttgart captain and hailed the midfielder as an “anchor” in the midfield of the home team. He shared: “Endo has a very simple personality but always gives his best and has extremely high requirements to keep moving forward.
He’s an anchor in the midfield – the heart of our system. Whether playing as a central defender or a defensive midfielder, Endo does it very well. The most important thing to me is that Endo can lead his teammates forward, embodying the values that Stuttgart stands for and aspires to.
I chose Endo to wear the captain’s armband because he is someone who is willing to give up the stage for others to perform and is responsible for all his decisions. That’s why we call Endo the “bodyguard” and “heart” of the whole team”, Coach Hoeness emphasized the role of the Japanese midfielder in Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, coach Jurgen Klopp desperately needs a midfielder like Endo to strengthen the midfield, after losing a series of names in this area. The duo Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have all moved to play in the Saudi Pro League, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, and Naby Keita have also left Anfield after the expiration of their contracts in the early summer of 2023.
Even with the services of rookie duo Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, The Kop’s midfield is still very fragile, especially when they were cut by Chelsea on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia duo. Therefore, Endo will bring experience, difference and hope to adapt quickly to the Anfield team.
In the last B season in Stuttgart, Endo always played, with 33/34 Bundesliga matches per season, scoring an average of 4 goals per season and playing an extremely important role in the home team’s midfield. The move to Liverpool is a big boost in the 30-year-old’s career, but it is a well-deserved reward after Endo’s tireless efforts. Not only excelling in the club shirt, Endo also had 50 caps for Japan, scored 2 goals and helped the home team reach the 1/8 round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Obviously, with Endo, coach Klopp will have more solutions not only for the midfield but also in the central position. In a long journey to come, the versatility of the Japanese player will help the German leader to rotate the squad so that Liverpool can be fit and complete the set goals, especially returning to the Top. 4 of the Premier League.
