Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shared his gratitude for securing the signing of Wataru Endo and dodging the costly Moises Caicedo
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his delight in signing Wataru Endo from Stuttgart after swerving from Moises Caicedo. The Liverpool boss revamped his Liverpool midfield completely during the summer, ushering in the era of his new Liverpool 2.0.
The Reds are currently at the top of the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the season. However, the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa and recent title rivals Manchester City are not far behind.
Nevertheless, Liverpool are 18 points ahead of Chelsea, who outspent them for the signing of Romeo Lavia and Caicedo. The London club gained notoriety for beating other clubs in the transfer market under new owner Todd Boehly. Chelsea have a knack for spending way over the top, inflating the transfer market yet failing to produce results.
During the Q&A with Kopites at Anfield (h/t Mirror), Klopp made a cheeky comment about dodging the costly Chelsea midfielders. He said:
“My god we were lucky. We didn’t know that in the moment, to be honest, we didn’t realise in that moment. But I am really happy it worked out like that. You never know if it will work out like that.”
Liverpool’s shrewd transfer strategy: Breaking norms to secure Endo
While Chelsea signed Caicedo for a massive £115m from Brighton, Liverpool opted to redeploy their shrewd transfer tactics. The Reds have earned a reputation for making bargain deals, helping Klopp continuously challenge the high-spending Premier League clubs.
Liverpool signed Endo from Stuttgart for £16.2m, surprising the Kopites as well as football followers around the globe. The Reds usually prefer signing a young player and less media exposure for the Japan captain made the signing intriguing.
Klopp expressed his delight for Liverpool to break their usual parameters to sign the “exceptional” 30-year-old Japanese defensive midfielder. He said:
“And then we found Endo. He’s an exceptional player, he is, absolutely. He’s 30 years old, experienced, captain of Japan and it’s not possible, sure [he’s] not the first pick because the transfer market is like that, we don’t go for a 30-year-old player who plays in Germany and nearly got relegated. But thank god we looked about things twice and had a deeper look and got this boy and he wanted to come definitely and that helps.”
Endo has already become a cult favourite despite struggling to adapt to the pace of the Premier League at times. The Japan captain adds leadership, a no-nonsense mentality and acts as a worthy rotational option for the Liverpool boss.
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD GIVES LIVERPOOL A LATE LEAD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 3, 2023
TRENT SCORES THE GO-AHEAD GOAL ONE MINUTE AFTER ENDO TIED THE GAME!
WHAT A MATCH pic.twitter.com/JTgEp0F6Fn
The defensive midfield market has faced steep inflation due to unrestricted activities from clubs like Chelsea. In such a market, clubs will likely place near-unobtainable price tags on players like Joao Palhinha, Douglas Luiz, and Bruno Guimaraes.
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The Reds have started to shift Trent Alexander-Arnold as a number six from his right-back position. The Liverpool vice-captain is the best playmaker at the club and many fans expect him to permanently become a midfield. Endo has a crucial role to play in Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0 just like former icon James Milner used to.
