Wataru Endo ‘quite clearly’ wasn’t the defensive midfielder Liverpool wanted to buy this summer.
The Reds announced the signing of the 30-year-old on Friday, handing him a debut against Bournemouth yesterday. He did well on the whole having been thrust into a difficult situation.
But according to former Reds striker Michael Owen, Endo was not who Jurgen Klopp really wanted. Speaking to premierleague.com ahead of Saturday’s game, Owen said that although he liked the signing, it was something of a last-ditch one for Liverpool.
“Quite clearly he wasn’t their first choice, let’s get it right,” said the 43-year-old. “But I like the way Liverpool have given a bit of clarity, they’ve gone and done it. The longer that went on without having that No.6, the more the prices get ramped up and all kinds. There’s a lot of nervousness amongst the fans and the players
“Target one, that didn’t happen, target two, that didn’t happen. The next day virtually we heard there was a medical taking place, a fee being agreed et cetera. So I think Liverpool should be commended by that. They’ve taken a lot of criticism in the last week or two for not getting a couple of signings over the line.”
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Liverpool take Endo gamble
Had things gone to plan for Liverpool this summer, it’s hard to see why they would have bought Endo.
In the build-up to and throughout the window so far, there have been dozens of midfielders mentioned in connection to the Reds.
Not once did Endo ever come into the thinking. He simply wasn’t on the radar.
But for whatever reason, Liverpool have found themselves in a position where they had little other choice.
The ramifications of that will depend on how Endo does on the pitch for the Reds. As things stand, he’s set to be Liverpool’s only option to play in defensive midfield for next week’s trip to Newcastle.
He’ll have to get up to speed on the training ground pretty quickly this week.
Of course, just because a player isn’t the first, second or third choice, doesn’t mean they’re destined to fail. Liverpool’s recent history is full of near misses and lucky breaks in the market. Endo is ours now, and we’ll back him all the way.