Liverpool are now unlikely to offload Wataru Endo after their failure to land top defensive midfield target Martin Zubimendi.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool may not entertain the prospect of selling Wataru Endo in this window, especially after missing out on Martin Zubimendi. Had the Spaniard joined Arne Slot’s side, the Japanese captain might have left as there’s emerging interest in his signature.
Liverpool’s No.6 recap and Wataru Endo
Last summer, Liverpool made a desperate late attempt to sign Moises Caicedo in the final days of the window, although the player was already committed to joining Chelsea. In the process of making a bid for the Equadorian, they also squandered two months of work put on Romeo Lavia, who also ended up at Stamford Bridge.
They clearly needed a new defensive midfielder in their ranks after losing Fabinho and Jordan Henderson last summer. They ended up bringing Wataru Endo from Stuttgart as a stop-gap option. The Japanese midfielder performed beyond everyone’s expectations and was a key player under Jurgen Klopp.
Since Arne Slot took over, Liverpool rebuffed a bid from Marseille, as the new manager was only testing all his players then. Earlier days in their pre-season showed how the Dutch boss might ditch the 4-3-3 for a midfield double-pivot, where the 31-year-old might have had an important role to play. Later, they decided to sell Endo if they managed to sign a replacement, as they began chasing Martin Zubimendi.
Zubimendi has since rejected a move to Liverpool, which has been a €60 million transfer setback to Arne Slot’s plans for the season. Now, the Merseysiders are not looking to offload Wataru Endo despite the midfielder having plenty of suitors chasing his signature. They might still sell him if they can make a late dash for a new midfielder in his place, although reports suggest they are not looking for an alternative to the Real Sociedad star.
Zubimendi decision changes Liverpool’s plans
Liverpool had thought about loaning out Stefan Bajcetic, a midfielder with decent experience and the ability to play the defensive role at the base. With Endo likely to stay, Arne Slot will keep the former as cover in areas that severely lack quality.
They had links to Adrien Rabiot, with some stories suggesting he was an alternative to Zubimendi. However, the Frenchman barely plays in the defensive midfield role and is more suited as a box-crasher profile, something Liverpool can still make do with ahead of the new season.
