Liverpool closing in on deal to sign Stuttgart midfielder Wataru Endo

In the most unexpected news of the transfer window, Liverpool look to be on the verge of signing their third midfielder of the summer - Wataru Endo from Stuttgart.

News broke late on Wednesday evening that Liverpool had agreed a deal with Stuttgart to secure the services of their club captain Wataro Endo, and the Japanese international had been given permission to travel to Liverpool to facilitate and complete the move.

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, a deal in the region of €19m (£16.2m) had been agreed between Liverpool and the Bundesliga club.

However, on Thursday morning, Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg stated that the Reds finalised the deal at €20m (£17m), with an additional €5m (£4.2m) for the 30-year-old.

The player will reportedly fly to Merseyside to complete his medical today, as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his midfield options after the disappointment of missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

While not a flashy name with a high price tag, Endo is a captain of both his club and national side, and will bring a wealth of experience into Klopp's youthful midfield.

He predominately plays as a defensive midfielder, but also has experience as a box to box centre midfielder and a centre half, providing some much-valued versatility to the club.

After originally joining Stuttgart in 2020 from Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden, Endo is just coming off the back of a stellar season in the Bundesliga, registering six goals and five assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.

Liverpool's next fixture comes against Bournemouth on Saturday, which may come too soon to see the Japanese international in action, but the transfer has come out of nowhere and looks to be progressing quickly, so his services may be called upon from the bench if paperwork is signed in time.