New signing for Liverpool On Sunday against Newcastle United, Wataru Endo will get his first opportunity to prove that he deserves to play defensive midfield on a regular basis.
As part of the makeover of Liverpool’s back end, many fans had been calling for a new defensive midfielder for much of the summer.
There was merit to the need for some forward planning given that Fabinho had a challenging campaign, Jordan Henderson was far into his 30s, and Stefan Bajectic was still very much a wet behind the ears.
Club captain Henderson and Fabinho, who Pep Lijnders memorably referred to as Liverpool’s “lighthouse,” both left for Saudi Arabia, raising far more immediate concerns about that.
However, those same supporters were a little disappointed when Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia’s unsuccessful transfers led Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke to rely on what they do best and sign 30-year-old Stuttgart captain Wataru Endo last Friday.
However, it was obvious to those who were aware of the Japan international’s influence while he was living in Germany. There were a ton of texts from former coworkers thanking Klopp for the decision, and Bundesliga analysts all nodded in agreement.
But there’s no denying that this wasn’t in the Liverpool storyline.
“It was so so quick, you know,” remarked Endo, who made his immediate debut off the bench during the second half of the team’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth last week.
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However, it was obvious to those who were aware of the Japan international’s influence while he was living in Germany. There were a ton of texts from former coworkers thanking Klopp for the decision, and Bundesliga analysts all nodded in agreement.
Before making a move for Endo, Liverpool had already spoken to Fluminense about Andre. However, the transfer was significantly hampered by the Brazilian team’s reluctance to let the player leave while they are still competing in the Copa Libertadores, whose next round is concluded on deadline day next Friday. It’s possible that the Reds’ window of opportunity to finalize that deal is about to close forever. Correct player, possibly incorrect moment.
Of course, there are other options. Bajcetic stood out in February’s 2-0 victory at Newcastle when he started with Fabinho and Henderson. However, he will gradually return to duty after an almost five-month absence. And any more newcomers will be considered in light of Liverpool’s new hybrid configuration.
Endo is now in control and will aim to hold onto his position for the Saturday home game against Aston Villa, regardless of what transpires in the next week or two of the transfer market.
The Japan captain freely acknowledges that a week ago, he couldn’t have even remotely entertained the possibility of playing for Liverpool. The task now is to seize it with both hands and gain an advantage in the competition to become the Reds’ new “lighthouse.”
