Arne Slot is keen to sell £16m Liverpool player but he doesn’t want to leave

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool look poised to make some key decisions on their squad over the next couple of weeks.

Up until this point, the Reds have stayed quiet in the transfer market. Unbelievably, they’re the only Premier League side yet to make a first-team signing.

On the flip-side of that, Arne Slot has not lost any of his Liverpool squad since taking over this summer.

The new head coach was keen to take a look at as many Liverpool players as he could both in training and during the early pre-season games.

Having now taken charge of three matches, Slot has reportedly made a decision on a player who has become a favourite at Anfield.

Wataru Endo hoping for Liverpool stay

As Liverpool look to make some late signings in the window, it feels likely that any incoming business will be somewhat dependent on if anyone heads out the other way.

This week it became clear that that very scenario nearly happened all at the same time back in June. Joe Gomez was preparing for a medical with Newcastle that would have seen Anthony Gordon come the other way.

With Newcastle having pulled the plug, it remains to be seen whether Gomez will move on. But it’s fair to say that the 27-year-old’s Liverpool future is now very much in doubt.

The same could certainly be said of Wataru Endo. The Japanese midfielder had a good debut season with the Reds but could now leave after just a year.

READ MORE: Fabio Carvalho explains his chances of playing regular football at Liverpool

Despite Marseille having a bid for Endo turned down by Liverpool, journalist David Lynch says that the 31-year-old is up for sale at the right price.

“It’s very much my understanding that they would be open to selling Endo this summer,” Lynch told Born N’Red. “That’s a possibility now.”

However, the reporter also claimed that Endo will push back on any attempts to sell him before the window shuts.

“I also understand the players’ gong to resist that,” Lynch says. “He wants to stay and fight for his place. If Liverpool are willing to move him on then that throws a spanner into the works for them.”

Liverpool facing key decision over Endo

In many ways, the success of Liverpool’s transfer market could boil down to whether or not Endo moves on.

The Japan captain is a good player but it’s clear that Slot sees him as being surplus to requirements.

It’s worth pointing out that he has three years left to run on his deal, though, and if Endo is determined to stay put, then that’ll probably be what ends up happening.

In that scenario, it seems unlikely that Liverpool will add another specialist No.6 to the first-team squad. And should that pan out, fans may be sceptical about success this season.

In our opinion, Endo deserves to be kept around. The £16m signing was excellent at times last year and if he can get up to speed with Slot’s system he will still be an asset to have in the group.