Wataru Endo had thought Liverpool were signing Moises Caicedo before the Japanese international’s move to Anfield this week.
Speaking to the Athletic, the 30-year-old claimed that he had been keeping up to date with Caicedo’s engrossing transfer saga that at one point looked like the midfielder was heading to Anfield.
However, Chelsea ultimately won the race for the Ecuador international, with Liverpool instead moving to sign Endo in a deal worth £18m.
Nobody could have predicted that Endo would be the player Liverpool would sign as an alternative for Caicedo, yet the midfielder is already proving to be a hit on Merseyside.
Yet things could have been different had events played out differently, and even Endo himself was shocked that Caicedo didn’t end up at Liverpool.
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Endo said: “To be honest I followed Liverpool’s news, that they wanted midfielders, they wanted a No 6. I thought Caicedo had gone to Liverpool!. So when I heard he went to Chelsea I just thought ‘maybe’.”
Endo can now show Liverpool they were right to sign him
Endo has arrived out of nowhere, and after a convincing debut this weekend, the new Liverpool no. 3 has a chance to prove everyone he deserves a place at Anfield.
One of the most experienced midfielders Liverpool could have signed this summer, the Japanese international is everything Jurgen Klopp is looking for in a Fabinho replacement.
Indeed, Endo can prove a lot of doubters wrong in the coming weeks, and the 30-year-old can become a favourite for the Reds by replacing the void left by the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.