Wataru Endo is on Merseyside today to complete his move from Stuttgart to Liverpool.
The Japan international has travelled to England to undergo a medical and sign his contract ahead of finalising a transfer worth in the region of €19 million.
Should that process run smoothly, then Endo will be registered in time to form part of the squad that faces Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday.
Premier League rules state that his signing must be completed by 12pm on Friday in order for him to take part in this weekend’s game.
However, it is unlikely that he will be thrown in for a start against the Cherries, with Jurgen Klopp set to take a cautious approach to blooding his new midfielder.
That should leave Alexis Mac Allister to once again take on the holding role, a position in which he impressed during the opening-day draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Wataru Endo
Age: 30
Height: 5’10”
Position: Defensive midfielder, centre-back
Nationality: Japanese
Endo arrives with plenty of top-flight experience under his belt, having made almost 100 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart across the last three seasons.
He also boasts 50 caps for Japan and was appointed his country’s captain earlier this year.
The 30-year-old has previously made no secret of his desire to one day play in the Premier League, telling Kicker in 2022: “I still have the goal of England in my mind.”
He also mentioned his ambition to make it to Europe’s top-tier competition, adding: “Above all, I would like to play in the Champions League, I’ll say that quite openly.”
