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.
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.
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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.