Liverpool may be prepared to entertain offers for one player in January who’d be open to leaving Anfield, according to fresh reports.
Just 14 months on from joining the Reds, Wataru Endo finds himself on the periphery under Arne Slot, having had just 85 minutes of game-time so far this season.
The Japanese midfielder evidently isn’t part of the head coach’s preferred starting XI, leading to the possibility of him moving on from Merseyside in the winter.
As reported by CaughtOffside, Liverpool are willing to listen to offers in the region of €15m-€20m (£12.6m-£16.8m) for Endo, who’s open to leaving for a club where he’d be guaranteed regular game-time.
The 31-year-old is already attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League, with Ipswich, Fulham and Wolves all believed to be monitoring him.
Marseille had a bid for the Japan captain rejected by the Reds over the summer, although the Ligue 1 side haven’t shown any indication of going back in for him.
We can understand why Endo would be amenable to moving on from Liverpool in January if the right opportunity comes up, with Slot evidently not viewing the Japanese midfielder as a go-to starter.
The player turns 32 in February and, at this juncture in his career, he won’t want to squander a season by feeding off scraps at Anfield. However, as we’ve seen on Merseyside in recent years, such fortunes can change rapidly due to injuries elsewhere in the squad.
For that reason, the Reds should think carefully before deciding to jettison the ex-Stuttgart destroyer, who showed his combative nature and ingenuity during his cameo off the bench against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Ryan Gravenberch may be Slot’s man at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and the 22-year-old has now become one of the first names on the teamsheet for good reason, but the pursuit of four competitions will necessitate the head coach to rely on everyone in his first-team roster.
Even if LFC have the opportunity to get back the full £16m that they paid for Endo in August 2023, he’s not a player who should be unceremoniously pushed out the door. Despite his sporadic game-time of late, he could still have an important part to play at Anfield in the months ahead.
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