Liverpool made Wataru Endo transfer decision after glowing reference from World Cup winner

Liverpool fans were taken by surprise when news of a bid for Wataru Endo emerged on Sunday. It still perhaps wasn’t as unexpected as the Reds’ move for the midfielder last summer though .

There could be a big decision to make on Endo’s future this summer, with Marseille having had a bid of around $15.2m (£11.8m/€14m) for the 31-year-old rejected . According to the ECHO , there is no appetite from Liverpool to sell Endo.

David Lynch though has suggested a higher offer, whether it’s from Marseille or another club, could tempt the Reds to part with Endo , just 12 months on from signing him from Stuttgart in a deal worth around $20.8m (£16.2m/€19.2m).

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Endo’s arrival at Anfield was certainly unexpected. Having lost Fabinho earlier during the summer, all the signs pointed toward the Reds going after a young heir to the Brazilian’s throne at the base of the midfield.

Indeed, Romeo Lavia was for a long time touted as the solution, before Liverpool went all in on hijacking Chelsea’s move for Moises Caicedo . Despite Brighton accepting the Reds’ bid, the Ecuador international was determined to head to Stamford Bridge, and Lavia would end up following him.

Where they would go from there left Liverpool fans scratching their heads. They certainly wouldn’t have expected a player older than Fabinho to be the solution.

Endo’s signing took everyone by surprise, although Jurgen Klopp was a big fan, insisting that the midfielder was more than just a backup option.

“I didn’t need any kind of convincing,” Klopp said upon his signing. “I know that the best time for a football player is from 27 to 33 in a normal career. It depends on injuries, of course. That is why I did not need to change anything and he was on my list from the beginning.”

Klopp might not have needed any convincing, but he certainly got plenty of good feedback before finalizing the deal for Endo. According to the Daily Mail , the ex-Liverpool boss received glowing references from a number of contacts in Germany, including his former defender at Borussia Dortmund and World Cup winner Mats Hummels.

The decision on whether he remains at Liverpool this summer will now fall upon Arne Slot and Richard Hughes . With three years left on the Japan captain’s contract, they would certainly expect to recoup the money the club spent on Endo’s signing, but with plenty of good reviews in his favor, the 31-year-old could prove to be a handy player to keep around.