Liverpool’s shock move for Wataru Endo has been hailed as “smart” business by Bundesliga specialist Jan Age Fjortoft.
The Reds sprung a huge suprise on Wednesday evening as late reports emerged over an agreed deal with German club Stuttgart for the 30-year-old Japan international midfielder.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have agreed to pay a fee of €18million (£15.3m) for Endo, who is said to have settled on personal terms as he prepares to undergo a medical on Merseyside on Thursday.
Liverpool have been forced to scramble for midfield alternatives with just over two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining after losing out to Chelsea twice in quick succession in battles over Moises Caicedo and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.
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They saw a mammoth £110m proposal for Caicedo accepted by Brighton last week having been encouraged to bid by the player’s entourage, but were left furious after he swiftly snubbed a move to Anfield in favour of boyhood club Chelsea, who subsequently upped their own offer and completed a British record £115m transfer on Monday.
In a further blow to Liverpool, Lavia also then chose Chelsea over them, with the Blues reaching a £53m agreement with Southampton on Tuesday that could rise to £58m with add-ons. The 19-year-old underwent a medical at Cobham on Wednesday.
Crystal Palace star Cheick Doucoure, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips are just a few midfielders said to be on Liverpool’s radar after that double miss, with Jurgen Klopp’s need for a complete rebuild in the middle of the park long overdue after missing out on the top four and Champions League qualification altogether last term.
The Reds lost both long-serving captain Jordan Henderson and Brazil’s Fabinho to big-money moves to Saudi Arabia this summer, while the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left the club at the end of their respective contracts. Liverpool moved fast early in the window to bring in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively, but remain clearly in need of further midfield reinforcements after the subsequent unplanned exits of Henderson and Fabinho.
Few would have picked out Endo as a suitable target and many fans appear to have real reservations based mainly on his age, though Fjortoft believes a low-price deal for an experienced leader beloved by his current club is shrewd business by Liverpool and new German sporting director Jorg Schmadtke.
Endō
— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🏳️🌈 🇳🇴 💛💙 (@JanAageFjortoft) August 16, 2023
5 goals
5 assists
Last season for Stuttgart- a team that was struggling
Very good for a defensive midfielder https://t.co/M83HZm3tCq
He tweeted: “Smart move by Liverpool. One of the best in his position in Bundesliga. Aggression, can keep the ball very good, leader. Captain by Stuttgart - Stuttgart love him.
“Five goals, five assists last season for Stuttgart in a team that was struggling.”
Endo - who can operate as a defensive midfielder or in the heart of defence - has made 133 appearances across all competitions for Stuttgart since joining from Belgian club Sint-Truiden in 2020 following a successful loan spell, scoring 15 goals.
He has also played for Urawa Red Diamonds and Shonan Bellmare in his native Japan, for whom he has 50 senior international caps and is also the current captain.
