da lvbet： The Japan international's move to Anfield has taken everyone by surprise – so is the 30-year-old the answer to Jurgen Klopp's midfield problem?
da betano casino： Before Liverpool became a laughing stock for losing two transfer targets to Chelsea in as many days, the Reds were renowned for the speed and secrecy with which they wrapped up deals. However, Liverpool's acquisition of Wataru Endo is on a whole other level to anything they've done before. Nobody saw this coming.
Even in Endo's native Japan, football fans were left in a state of shock. "Endo, really?!" was trending on Twitter minutes after it was revealed that Liverpool had bid £16 million ($20m) for his services. However, the news also generated a huge amount of excitement because there is a strong belief that he has the talent and temperament to thrive at one of Europe's elite clubs.
On Merseyside, by contrast, there is some trepidation, given Liverpool have been burned before when it comes to shock signings towards the tail end of the transfer window. Only last summer, Arthur Melo arrived on loan from Juventus and managed just 13 minutes of game time before being sent back to Turin.
So, does the 30-year-old Endo really have what it takes to make a big impact at Anfield? Is he the long-awaited answer to Jurgen Klopp's problem in the middle of the park? GOAL details everything you need to know about Endo below…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Endo was born in Yokohama and came through the youth-team ranks at Shonan Bellmare, who are based in nearby Hiratsuka. He broke into the senior squad in 2010 and made steady progress before being handed his Japan debut five years later.
His fine form earned him a move to Urawa Red Diamonds, whom he promptly helped win the AFC Champions League in 2017, with the multi-functional Endo starting at right-back in both legs of the final.
Endo travelled to Russia for the World Cup the following year and although he didn't feature in any of Japan's games, by that stage he had earned himself a move to Sint-Truiden, a Belgian Pro League club acquired by Japan's DMM group in 2017, resulting in many of the nation's most promising players moving to Limburg.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesThe big break
Endo would end up spending just over a year at Sint-Truiden because of Stuttgart's former sporting director Sven Mislintat. The German, a world-renowned talent-spotter now working at Ajax, has enjoyed plenty of success over the years picking up players plying their trade in Belgium – and he never had any doubts over Endo's potential to excel at an even higher level.
Indeed, he wanted to sign the Japanese on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019, but Stuttgart's budgetary restrictions at the time meant they could only take Endo on loan initially.
"In comparison to a normal season, we have a lot of variables," Mislintat is quoted as saying by during the pandemic-affected campaign. "But there was no uncertainty over what Endo could bring to the club."
Stuttgart confirmed a €1.7m deal for Endo in April 2020. He proved a bargain buy.
(C)Getty ImagesHow it's going
Endo helped Stuttgart secure a return to the top-flight at the end of his first season at the MPHArena before quickly proving himself one of the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga.
Although not an especially vocal player, Endo also emerged as one of the most important figures in the dressing room and became known as 'Stuttgart's silent leader'. Former coach Pellegrino Matarazzo certainly had no qualms about handing such a quiet character the captain's armband, explaining that Endo effectively served as his team's 'bodyguard'.
"What's important for me is that our captain can take everyone with him," he explained, "that he embodies the values we stand for and is an example to follow. I have chosen Wataru Endo because he's also someone who leaves room for other players to take responsibility."
It certainly proved an inspired decision on Matarazzo's part, with Endo quite literally rising to the challenge of keeping his side in the Bundesliga. On the final day of the 2021-22 season, he headed home an injury-time winner against Koln that saw Stuttgart avoid the relegation play-off on goal difference.
He stepped up again last term when it looked like Stuttgart were going straight down. Endo popped up with a goal and three assists in the final three rounds of the regular season to help secure five points that salvaged a place in the play-off, which Stuttgart won comfortably, beating Hamburg 6-1 on aggregate.
Biggest strengths
Endo is known as 'The Duel King' in Japan – and with good cause, given no midfielder has been involved in more (1274) since making his Bundesliga debut in September 2020. He also ranks second for both possession won (706) and successful tackles (207), which helps explain Liverpool's interest.
Endo is versatile too, though, capable of playing at centre-back, as he has done on occasion for Stuttgart. "As a player and as a person, he's simply incredibly valuable," former sporting director Mislintat enthused. "He's one of these anchors, a focal point in our system."
Endo's offensive attributes should be overlooked either.
As Chihiro Sasaki-Burns of GOAL Japan says, "Endo's most impressive quality is obviously his ability to win duels. He has a talent for finding weaknesses in the opposition's attacking game. He reads the game so well and his positioning is excellent, so that helps him spot chances to intercept passes and disrupt the other team's attacks.
"However, he's not only adept at stopping attacks but starting them too – because of his fantastic range of passing. He always seems to know when and where to distribute the ball. He's got great awareness and excellent decision-making skills. This is why he's such a valuable player and such a pleasure to watch on a football field."