Five Wataru Endo replacements Liverpool could sign | OneFootball

“We really need you,” were the words of Jürgen Klopp to Wataru Endo during their first meeting at Liverpool‘s training ground after he joined from Stuttgart for £16.2m last August.

Based on his following performances, where he effortlessly followed in Fabinho’s footsteps, the Japan international looked certain to be a mainstay at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

He penned a four-year contract, but the Reds, now under the leadership of Dutch tactician Arne Slot following Klopp’s sudden departure, recently turned down an offer for the Japan captain.

The bid for Endo was worth £11.8m and was made by French club Marseille, now coached by former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi, who has seen him up close.

According to reports, Liverpool are further aware of interest in the defensive midfielder from other German clubs, where Endo made 99 appearances in the Bundesliga, subsequently registering 12 goals and creating 11 more.

Turning a profit on a player after one season is not rare, and there’s every chance Endo could depart, leaving a hole in Liverpool’s midfield. That said, it’s worth looking at whom they could sign if that scenario does pass.

Azor Matusiwa

The Liverpool manager has limited influence on the club’s transfer activities. Depending on your perspective, this can be viewed as either positive or negative. However, Slot would be familiar with Azor Matusiwa, the former Groningen midfielder who moved to Stade Rennais from Stade Reims earlier this year.

In today’s football, it is not uncommon for players to change clubs after only six months. While it seems unlikely that Matusiwa will join Liverpool, he does share some characteristics with Endo, making the 26-year-old Dutchman an intriguing prospect.

Primarily used as the deeper midfielder in a double pivot, Matusiwa shows great composure both on and off the ball. He takes on the key role of defensive duties in midfield and performs at a high standard.

With the ball, Matusiwa positions himself as a passing option for the centre-backs and is skilled at bypassing the opposition from deep areas of the pitch. Regarding forward passes, he averaged 5.75 per game last season.

Martín Zubimendi

Whether or not Endo is at the club, this would be a dream acquisition. The brilliance of Spanish captain Rodri has relegated Martín Zubimendi to a limited international role. But, there’s no question he’s among the finest defensive midfielders playing their football in La Liga if he isn’t the first among equals.

Zubimendi has already been linked to a Premier League club—in this case, Liverpool’s bitter rivals, Manchester United—who reportedly beat them to Léry Yoro’s signature. If that’s the case, why not put down a reverse uno card while strengthening your midfield in the process?

Real Sociedad’s “number six” regained possession an impressive 102 times in the middle third and made 37 interceptions in La Liga last season. It is not hard to see why England’s top clubs are interested, with the 25-year-old having a reported release clause of £52.6 million.

Amadou Haidara

The loss of Naby Keïta to Liverpool in 2017 was a significant blow to RB Leipzig, who were establishing themselves as Bundesliga challengers. However, they were prepared and had identified Amadou Haidara as his successor in midfield.

Perhaps this is another instance of their football-transfer cheat code, given where Haidara was playing. He followed the same Salzburg-to-Leipzig route as Keïta.

But that aside, Haidara has been nothing short of indomitable since joining. Last season in the Bundesliga, he averaged 5.63 progressive passes per 90 while making 2.46 tackles per 90.

As for Keïta, he left Leipzig for Liverpool. It would be interesting to see if Haidara continues on this same path.

Morten Frendrup

One well-known player linked is Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup, valued at £21.1 million.

Aston Villa are also believed to be interested, although he’s been on Liverpool’s radar since they expressed interest during the January 2024 transfer window while Villa have just signed Amadou Onana. Frendrup played a significant role in Genoa’s promotion.

Last season, he contributed two goals and five assists in the Italian top flight, but it’s his tackling ability that is particularly remarkable, registering an impressive 3.81 tackles per 90 minutes, placing him in the 99th percentile among midfielders in Europe’s top leagues.

The 23-year-old is far from the finished article; a pass completion rate of 80.6% suggests one particular area leaves room for improvement.

Joey Veerman

It was assumed someone from Slot’s former club, Feyenoord, would be following him to England, with Mats Wieffer a strong candidate. The Dutchman will feature in the Premier League at Brighton, not Liverpool.

But could another Eredivisie star walk that path? Joey Veerman is someone who should interest Liverpool regardless of their manager’s nationality. The current Netherlands international had an up-and-down Euro 2024 campaign but was imperious for dominant champions PSV Eindhoven last term.

Veerman, 25, joined the Eindhoven-based club in January 2022 after a series of strong performances for Heerenveen that subsequently caught the attention of former Tottenham playmaker Rafael van der Vaart.

Now a pundit on Dutch television, the first “Golden Boy” recipient likened Veerman to Andrea Pirlo, who ended his playing career at Juventus.

“Delicious balls, all tailor-made. It all looks very easy for him. It took no effort for Pirlo either. Everything is so relaxed, off the cuff. He also likes to play football. I like it when a player does that. Footballers like Veerman are of a dying breed. That’s why I love those kinds of players,” he said.

In fact, no player was more creative than him across Europe’s top seven leagues last season. The native of Purmerend produced 130 goalscoring opportunities, which is 16 more than the best in the Premier League, Bruno Fernandes.