Wataru Endo "undergoing medical" ahead of Liverpool switch
By
Daryl Finch
Daryl Finch
In a surprising turn of events, Stuttgart's 30-year-old midfielder Wataru Endo is about to complete a move to Liverpool.
Having missed out on high-profile targets Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia to Chelsea in the last week, the Reds have seemingly now turned to the Japan international to fill the void in their midfield.
After news broke late on Wednesday evening that Liverpool had agreed a deal with Stuttgart for their club captain, Fabrizio Romano reported that Endo was undergoing the first part of his medical at midday on Thursday after the German side - who narrowly avoided relegation last season - granted the player permission to travel and complete his "dream move".
A modest fee
Having bid in excess of £110 million for Caicedo and haggling over a fee in the region of £50 million for Lavia, Endo's price tag is much more modest.
According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the fee agreed between Liverpool and Stuttgart is worth €20m (£17m), with an additional €5m (£4.2m).
Who is Wataru Endo?
Although very few Liverpool fans will have heard of Endo until the last few hours, the midfielder, who is also captain of his country, would offer extensive experience, which would be a valuable addition to Klopp's youthful midfield.
While primarily a defensive midfielder, Endo would also bring versatility to the squad. He can also play as a box-to-box central midfielder and even as a centre-half.
Having joined Stuttgart in 2020 from the Belgian Pro League's Sint-Truiden, Endo has just completed an exceptional season in the Bundesliga, notching six goals and five assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
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