John Aldridge is glad that Liverpool signed Wataru Endo instead of Moises Caicedo
Liverpool legend John Aldridge believes that the club dodged the bullet by missing on Moises Caicedo and signing Wataru Endo. Caicedo has failed to live up to the astronomical sum that Chelsea paid to Brighton & Hove Albion for him.
Liverpool signed Endo from Stuttgart during the Summer after missing out on Caicedo as he signed for the London rivals. Despite the obscure reputation of the Japan captain, he has played a pivotal role for the Reds this season.
Man fans and pundits questioned the signing of Endo while citing his age and the position of Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old proved the doubters wrong by showcasing his combative skills and affinity for defending with passion and skill.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gradually introduced Endo into the starting lineup, using Alexis Mac Allister as a number six earlier. The Japanese international used the time wisely to adapt to the pace and competitiveness of the Premier League.
The 31-year-old has made 26 appearances in all competitions so far, contributing with two goals and an assist this season. Endo has solidified his spot as a regular in Liverpool’s defensive midfield position, shielding the backline and contributing to possession.
Aldridge used his column in Liverpool Echo to share his sign of relief for Liverpool signing Endo instead of Caicedo. He wrote:
“It’s early days but it looks like we [Liverpool] dodged a bullet with Moises Caicedo. He’s still a good player but he’s not an £110m player. So we dodged that, and we bought wisely instead when we dodged it. We have to just make sure he doesn’t win the midfield at the weekend. Winning the midfield goes a long way to winning any game. You have to do the job there. Endo, the more the season has gone on, the more he has become needed by us. He’s shown real quality that people didn’t realise he had.”
Liverpool attempted to sign Caicedo as Chelsea prolonged the negotiation with Brighton for the Ecuadorian international. However, the 22-year-old opted to wait for the London club despite Brighton accepting a huge bid from the Reds.
Klopp: "We wanted Bellingham and realised it would not happen".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2024
"We thought we could maybe do Caicedo. So we went in… but he had an emotional agreement already with Chelsea and Pochettino. Lavia had his own reasons. So we were there".
"We were lucky… we found Wataru!". pic.twitter.com/MZOZ5lmXKo
Eventually, Caicedo signed for Chelsea, and they also signed the Reds’ summer target Romeo Lavia, continuing their inflated spending spree. Nevertheless, Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League, 22 points ahead of 10th-place Chelsea.
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The London rivals are also potentially facing consequences for financial breaches, as they have spent billions on numerous failed signings. Meanwhile, the Reds have continued to demonstrate that they cannot buy success every time by astutely working in the transfer market with limited resources. Endo is a prime example of vigorous scouting and making smart choices instead of relying on reputation only.
