Liverpool finalized a deal with Stuttgart for Wataru Endo last week, and according to Liverpool journalist James Pearce, that is the Merseyside club’s final defensive midfield signing this summer.
The Japan international joined for £16.2 million and made his debut against Bournemouth on Saturday, coming off the bench in the second half. Pearce wrote in The Athletic that Klopp had to persuade the club’s owners that Endo, who had previously battled relegation with Stuttgart, was worth breaking from the club’s customary transfer policy of focusing on younger players.
Liverpool’s manager is content with the 30-year-old in that capacity, and the club has no plans to hire another specialist number six this summer. Stefan Bajcetic, who returned to the matchday squad on Saturday after missing five months due to injury, will assist the Japanese star throughout the season.
Although another defensive midfielder will not be signed this summer, Liverpool is still looking for another multi-functional midfielder. They’ve had a long-standing interest in Ryan Gravenberch, but Bayern Munich has said all summer that he’s not for sale, according to The Athletic.
Cheick Doucoure of Crystal Palace has also been connected with a move to Anfield in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen whether any of these two players can be signed with so little time remaining in the transfer window.
