Arne Slot has reportedly mandated Richard Hughes to sell one Liverpool player in the January transfer window.
According to Football Insider, the 46-year-old is happy to sanction the permanent exit of Wataru Endo in the winter with a view to raising funds to put towards the acquisition of a younger defensive midfielder as an alternative option to Ryan Gravenberch.
Despite the Netherlands international enjoying a superb start to the season, the Reds’ head coach is still keen to strengthen in that part of the squad and bring in another injection of youth.
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Endo has played just 84 minutes in Liverpool’s first nine matches of the season, almost all of which came in a much-changed line-up in the Carabao Cup victory against West Ham last week (Transfermarkt).
It’s become apparent that Slot doesn’t fully trust in the Japan international – who’ll turn 32 in February – to carry out what he wants from his players in the number 6 role, and it doesn’t seem a coincidence that the Reds reportedly had scouts watching Ederson in Atalanta’s win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
However, unless Hughes is fully confident that he’ll recruit a youthful defensive midfielder in January, the club should think very carefully before deciding to part with our current number 3.
After scoring in our 4-3 win against Fulham last December, Trent Alexander-Arnold hailed Endo as ‘a real game changer’ who boasts ‘great technique’ and is an ‘outstanding professional’ (LFCTV).
The Japanese warrior mightn’t be having much of a look-in so far under Slot, but with Liverpool set to have a hectic fixture schedule throughout the season, the boss will need every member of his squad to chip in.
Gravenberch obviously has a starting berth nailed down, and rightly so, but what if (heaven forbid) he were to become unavailable for a lengthy period of time? If that unwanted scenario were to arise, it might only be then that we realise the true value of the former Stuttgart ace.
