Wataru Endo’s move to the Premier League is sure to have raised brows this summer.
The Merseysiders had been in line to secure one of two highly-rated talents in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Jurgen Klopp’s men sadly missed out on both but gained a hugely impressive alternative signing in the Japan captain.
“Wataru Endo is a player I’ve been really impressed by, what a signing he’s been!” Paul Merson wrote for Sportskeeda. “Very rarely does Klopp get it wrong with transfers, I can’t recall looking at one of their signings over the years and saying ‘damn, he was a major waste of money’, which is a huge compliment to everyone who works behind the scenes.”
The former Stuttgart midfielder signed for the Reds for £16.2m in a deal keeping him at Anfield until 2027.
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Signing of the season?
Cole Palmer and Chelsea fans might have something to say about that!
Nonetheless, it can’t be denied that our 31-year-old, gumshield-wearing midfield enforcer is up amongst the top summer signings.
Whilst we’ll always wonder what might have been with a younger player in Caicedo or Lavia, it very much seems that Klopp and our recruitment team chose correctly in Endo.
What a gift he’ll be to the next man to take up the Anfield helm for the foreseeable future.