Endo is going nowhere - Slot should use him more

In helping Liverpool beat Southampton, Wataru Endo made a strong case for greater involvement in the coming months.

Photo: IMAGO | Anfield Index

It seemed certain at one point that Wataru Endo would become a surprise victim of the summer of change at Liverpool instigated by Jurgen Klopp’s departure.

The Japanese was just 12 months into the four-year contract he signed after arriving from Stuttgart, and had enjoyed an impressive debut season in which a top-four finish and the Carabao Cup were secured.

Yet it quickly became clear that the Reds’ new-look recruitment staff were willing to sanction an early parting of the ways amid interest from Marseille and several German clubs.

This stance owed much to the new manager, Arne Slot, feeling that Endo was not a good fit for the style he wished to implement, as well as a desire to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.