Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo has emerged as an unexpected midfield target for Liverpool and is on the verge of a £16m transfer.
Wind the clock back three months, and Wataru Endo was already advertising the skills he has honed that could propel him into the Liverpool midfield.
The Reds’ transfer window took a twist on Wednesday evening when it came to light that Stuttgart’s captain was being lined up as the third addition of the summer. Entering the final year of his contract in Germany, Jorg Schmadtke is thought to have used his contacts to help organise a move in the region of £16m.
It is certainly a surprise given the fact so many players have been tipped to become the club’s next holding midfielder, then all of a sudden one appears out of thin air. But back when all those other names were being thrown around the rumour mill, Endo was quietly going about his business, unknowingly listing his credentials to Jurgen Klopp as exactly what the Liverpool manager is seeking for right now.
Also described by a former manager as ‘a soldier’, the 5 ft 10 pivot – who can also play centre back – was asked in an interview with FIFA to explain which aspects of his game he rates as most improved in the years since his transfer to Germany in 2019.
Blood Red: Who is Wataru Endo? | Player Profile
“I think my entire game has improved,” he told the FIFA website back in May. “Obviously, playing in a tougher league demanded developing my overall skills, including the technical and physical aspects, and being faster on the pitch.
“I think my total ability as a holding midfielder has improved immensely during my time in Germany, but perhaps my ability to win one-on-one duels is the part of my game that has improved the most.”
They are words Jurgen Klopp will love to hear, given defensive midfield options Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have left Liverpool for Saudi Arabia this summer.
On top of his impressive defensive stats, during his time at Stuttgart Endo has played 33 of 36 league matches in each of the last three campaigns. He even featured in all four of his country’s World Cup matches in Qatar as the Samurai Blue did what many deemed impossible and finish ahead of both Germany and Spain in Group E.
All of the above experience has therefore earned him a reputation of having great consistency at both club and international level.
“I don’t think there is any special secret [how I achieved this],” the 30-year-old admitted. “I do an online training session with my trainer about once a week. This has helped me avoid injuries, and I think it also has lifted my overall physical conditioning and improved how I use my body during games.”
