View: Liverpool may make transfer rethink on 32.8% man Wataru Endo
It was reported this week that Liverpool have rejected a bid worth £11.8million from Marseille for midfielder Wataru Endo (The Athletic, 28 July).
The 31-year-old signed for the Reds last summer from Stuttgart after a failed bid for Moises Caicedo, in one of the most surprising moves of the summer.
Endo emerged as a capable option in defensive midfield once he adapted to the Premier League and impressed for large spells of the campaign but the signs are there he will not be willing to replicate the same form this season after a disappointing outing against Real Betis on Saturday (27 July).
Liverpool have no plans at this stage to sell Endo but with Marseille considering a second bid and interest emerging from the Bundesliga, there may be no better time to cash in on the player they signed less than 12 months ago.
Liverpool could allow Endo to leave Anfield this summer
The emergence of reports that the Reds had rejected Marseille’s bid for Endo comes with underlying intentions.
Fabrizio Romano (X, 28 July) claimed that the talks occurred “weeks ago” and Marseille have since signed defensive midfielders Ismael Kone and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Liverpool could now be looking to attract interest from other sides to allow Endo to leave Anfield this summer.
After all, Endo was signed as a stop-gap option to mitigate a deeper problem in the number six position as all preferred targets such as Caicedo and Romeo Lavia moved to Chelsea. So it makes sense for the club to try to recoup some of the £16m they spent for him in hopes of upgrading the position.
The Reds are a side that loves utilising sports science and data to guide their decision-making and the data does not bode well for the case of Endo remaining at Anfield.
Endo was dispossessed 22 times in the Premier League, ranking him in the bottom 27.1 percentile of midfielders, the 24.8 percentile for duels won, and the top 93 percentile for fouls committed (Fotmob).
In comparison with his peers, Endo lost 41 challenges in the league, the second lowest amount behind Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, and his 32.8 per cent tackles against dribbles were the lowest (FBref).
The 31-year-old struggled to keep pace with the demands of the Premier League and was dribbled past 41 times, the bottom 7.8 percentile of players in his position, and received 10 yellow cards, for the bottom 4.7 percentile. (FotMob)
Endo suffered in Europe too, particularly against Union SG in the 2-1 defeat in December. The midfielder was dispossessed in the middle of the pitch leading to the first goal and failed to track his man as Cameron Puertas ran through on goal to score his second and the decisive goal of the match.
Liverpool had already qualified at the top of their Europa League group before a ball was kicked, but this match that was supposed to be routine for Endo and his struggles cost his side.
Overall, Endo performed well for the Reds last season and was integral to their progression through the league, cup competitions, and the Carabao Cup victory in February.
Arne Slot’s arrival brings new problems for the midfielder however, as Slot wants all his midfielders to be involved in the attacking phase of play and that aspect of the game, Endo struggles with.
He was in the bottom 15 percentile for progressive carries, and 17 percentile for touches in the opposition box, and his 101 progressive passes were the lowest among his peers (FBref).
Endo has proven himself to be a true professional for Liverpool, he signed for the club under the worst circumstances with fans crying out for a big-money signing, and slowly won over the fans with solid performances.
But Liverpool are a data-driven club and despite the benefits for the younger players in the team having a seasoned pro like Endo around the side, the data could force the club to sanction his sale if a ready-made replacement is identified this summer.
In other Liverpool news, Southampton eye loan deal for Liverpool teenager Ben Doak.
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