Wataru Endō, in a candid revelation, has shared his initial disbelief at securing a move to Liverpool, having considered himself an unlikely choice for the club. The narrative of Endō’s transfer unfolds amidst Liverpool’s ambitious midfield overhaul worth $180m or so, which saw the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch donning the Reds’ jersey.
This revamp was necessitated by the departure of stalwarts such as Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keïta, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Endō’s arrival at Anfield, following a $20m (£16m/€19m) transfer from VfB Stuttgart, was a turn of events that even he hadn’t anticipated. Initially, Liverpool’s sights were set on Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia, and André Trindade. In fact, a $140m (£111m/€129m) offer for Caicedo had been green-lit by Brighton, only for the player to express a preference for Chelsea.
Despite harboring aspirations of Premier League football, Endō felt his chances dim when Liverpool pursued Caicedo. “If I were to get a chance (to play in England), I had a feeling I would be headed to Liverpool because Liverpool had many outbound players — Henderson, Fabinho, both midfielders,” Endō disclosed during an interview with the Japanese streaming service Abema. He added that once Liverpool’s interest in Caicedo became apparent, he braced himself for disappointment.
“I thought Caicedo would sign (for Liverpool),” Endō admitted. “I remember seeing in the news that a deal was close (with Liverpool). I thought that I would lose out, and then he went to Chelsea.
“In terms of the fee, it was a fraction. I hear that (I am a bargain) is what they say (in the media). A player like me, I would only get an opportunity in a situation like this. The ideal situation would be to get a hold of young, talented players, but not every club can sign their ideal target.
“So the Plan B would be to sign an older, experienced player, someone who can be immediately effective. Liverpool were looking for that in signing me. It feels like I’ve been waiting for this chance my whole life.”
Liverpool’s failed pursuits turned out to be a silver lining for Endō. He acknowledged that his signing represented a deviation from the club’s usual strategy of acquiring young talents. Instead, Liverpool opted for an experienced player capable of making an immediate impact — a role Endō was eager to fulfill.
