Wataru Endo, a Japanese midfielder, joined Liverpool on Friday after Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia decided to sign with Chelsea. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was glad to sign the “late bloomer” and described Endo as such.
The 30-year-old Endo’s “long-term contract” has not been made public, although reports place the cost of his transfer from Bundesliga club Stuttgart at £19 million.
Since both captain Jordan Henderson and defensive midfielder Fabinho relocated to Saudi Arabia during the current transfer window, Liverpool has been searching for a replacement.
Caicedo of Brighton and Lavia of Southampton were both signed by Chelsea despite the Reds’ best efforts to sign them.
However, Klopp said during a press conference that he had long been a fan of Endo prior to Saturday’s game against Bournemouth, the Reds’ first home game this season after last week’s draw at Chelsea.
“First of all, I’m really happy that we can have an agreement with a club and a player, which is really cool,” Klopp stated.
“I am from Germany, I follow the Bundesliga frequently, I’ve known him since he was at Stuttgart, and I liked him pretty much right away when he started playing there.
“He’s a little bit of a late bloomer, and usually for us for the way our owners see it, he was already too old when he joined Stuttgart, but I obviously have a different view on that and I always liked him.”
Regarding Liverpool’s problems on the transfer market, Klopp added: “The past week was undoubtedly a challenging one. But if there is an issue, you can either stick with it or find a solution. I would much rather have the solution.
“The transfer industry is similar to that; you speak to people, players, and clubs, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.
Nothing else needs to be said about that. There is virtually nothing to tell about the chats we had because everything we said is private between us.
Endo stated on the official Liverpool website that joining one of the biggest Premier League clubs was “a dream come true for me.”
“I’m very happy right now, and I’m so excited to join a big club in Liverpool,” he exclaimed.
“This is my dream, and it feels amazing.”
