Liverpool could be set for a major squad overhaul this summer with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all out of contract while Eintracht Frankfurt are interested in Wataru Endo
Wataru Endo could be the next player to leave Liverpool, with Trent Alexander-Arnold widely expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer. The LaLiga giants are confident of landing Alexander-Arnold, but the deal is not done yet.
Alexander-Arnold is one of three key players who are out of contract at the end of the season and, although Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have said they hope to stay at Anfield, no extensions have been agreed.
It remains to be seen whether Van Dijk and Salah will follow Alexander-Arnold out the door, but Bild are reporting that Endo is a transfer target for Eintracht Frankfurt. The report states that Frankfurt are keen to sign an experienced midfielder this summer.
They missed out on Pascal Gross last summer, with the 33-year-old joining Borussia Dortmund instead, and it is claimed they are ready to make an offer for Endo if they qualify for the Champions League.
Frankfurt currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga and could also reach the Champions League by winning this season’s Europa League, with Dino Toppmoller’s side set to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals.
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The report claims that Frankfurt view Endo as an ‘absolute leader’ and that the move is ‘not out of the question’. Endo has not made a single Premier League start for Liverpool so far this season, but Reds boss Arne Slot is a huge fan of the midfielder.
“I think Wata has been really useful for us this season,” Slot said last month following Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves. “It’s not always a matter of how many minutes you play, you can be very important in two minutes and you can be less important in 90 minutes.
“What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up. That sounds much more simple than it is because if a player has hardly had a lot of playing time then to be mentally so strong that if the team needs you, you can bring your best performance in – that is not always easy.
“Because mostly you see players that don’t play a lot find it difficult to get their rhythm or their quality in the less playing time they get. The only thing is defending is always more easy than creating.
“So if you play a player who hasn’t played for a long time and he has to create something, it is always more difficult than defending. He’s been important for us and he will be important for us in the upcoming weeks as well.”
And Endo insists he remains “happy” at Liverpool, despite his lack of starts. “The only thing I can do is to show myself every time I have a chance, just keep working hard,” Endo told club media. “I’m still happy to be a part of this club and I can still feel like I can do something for this club.”
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