Arne Slot just got Wataru Endo option that could save Liverpool millions and Jurgen Klopp knows why

Arne Slot will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Wataru Endo when Liverpool faces Arsenal this week in Philadelphia.

The Japan international certainly wasn’t at his best for the Reds’ opening friendly out in the United States , but that’s not the main reason why there will be plenty of focus on him against the Gunners. With Liverpool having rejected a bid from Marseille just a few days ago , suddenly there are big question marks around the 31-year-old’s future.

There seems little appetite from the Reds to lose one of their few defensive midfield options , but an improved bid from Marseille could potentially give the club something to think about. The decision of whether Endo stays or goes will surely come down to Slot, placing much more significance on tonight’s game than there was this time last week.

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Regardless of the Endo situation though, Liverpool could do with dipping into the transfer market for a new No.6. In fact, Endo said as much not too long ago .

Beyond the former Stuttgart captain, Stefan Bajcetic looks as though he could be the long-term solution, although after such a long time out injured, it would be a big call to throw the 19-year-old back in at the deep end. Tyler Morton could come into consideration, although he also appears to be attracting interest this summer.

Alexis Mac Allister did play the position a lot last season, although there can’t be much doubt now that he is better suited further forward. Curtis Jones has fleetingly featured there as well, but he doesn’t look like a long-term solution by any means.

There is perhaps one other option already in the senior squad though, and one that Jurgen Klopp suggested could be the solution to Liverpool’s dilemma.

Ryan Gravenberch has reported back for duty with the Reds out in the US, having arrived in Philadelphia along with Ibrahima Konate on Tuesday. He arrives with speculation surrounding his future, although David Lynch has indicated that he will be going nowhere.

We probably won’t see him in action against Arsenal, given he has been back with his teammates for less than 24 hours. But with Manchester United lying in wait at the weekend, could we see him taking up a new position?

We haven’t seen anything of Gravenberch at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, but it’s a position that Klopp suggested could lie in his future shortly after securing his signature.

“I think definitely in the future he has the potential to play as a No.6,” Klopp said of Gravenberch last September (via This Is Anfield ).

“He is an 8, he can play as a 10 definitely, and yes, in time, he can play as a 6.

“Like Curtis [Jones] could play as a 6. They just have to get used to the different spaces and responsibilities.

“That’s not the most difficult position in the world, it’s just one where from time to time you have to hold yourself back a little bit.

“Hendo [ Jordan Henderson ] struggled with that until the end and played some sensational games on the 6. [He would say] ‘But I cannot be involved in this or that going forward?’ That was the situation.

“But besides that [Gravenberch] is a real talent. So now we have to see. We obviously have good players and we don’t need to push him in because he is new, it’s a mid and long-term project and he will be with us definitely and will have enough opportunities to play.”

Given the season was already well underway when Gravenberch arrived at Anfield , Klopp never had the chance to test his theory. Slot though will soon get the opportunity.

Gravenberch doesn’t immediately look to be an ideal fit as a No.6, but given Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai , Jones and Harvey Elliott ended last season ahead of him in the pecking order for the more advanced roles in midfield, it could prove to be his best route into the side.

Of course, no one would expect him to take to the position immediately like a duck to water. Even if he did, it would be an almighty gamble to start him there when the new season starts at Ipswich.

But it is something for Slot to think about, and potentially an option that could save him and Richard Hughes a lot of money in the transfer window.