Liverpool are gearing up for a first season under new boss Arne Slot and the Dutchman now faces his biggest transfer decision so far.
Replacing Jurgen Klopp has to be one of the most difficult tasks in the game.
The German was an absolute hero at Anfield and he said an emotional goodbye on the final day of the season.
Klopp announced his intention to leave in January, giving Liverpool ample time to find a replacement.
There were links to Xabi Alonso but the Spaniard chose to stay in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool turned to Arne Slot instead, luring the Dutchman to Merseyside after a superb spell in charge of Feyenoord.
Liverpool receive Wataru Endo approach
The Dutchman may not have been the first choice in the eyes of many Liverpool fans, but he arrives with a great reputation.
Slot worked wonders with Feyenoord and has bee praised as ‘unbelievable’ by Klopp’s former assistant Pep Lijnders.
Liverpool fans need to get behind Slot and the hope is that he can lead a strong start to the season.
Whether midfielder Wataru Endo will still be at the club for the season opener against Ipswich Town remains to be seen.
Endo has been the source of a bid from Marseille with The Athletic claiming that a €14million (£11.8million) bid has been rejected.
Marseille have since signed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Tottenham, so the interest may have subsided.
Reporter David Lynch adds that a higher bid could tempt Liverpool into selling with German clubs keen.
Arne Slot faces biggest Liverpool transfer decision yet
This is a tough decision for Slot and his first major call in what has been a quiet summer so far.
On the one hand, Endo doesn’t really fit the mould of a defensive midfielder in Slot’s system.
Mats Wieffer was perfect under Slot at Feyenoord; a tall and defensively sound midfielder who could not only pick up the ball and start attacks from deep, but also drive into open spaces.
Wieffer has now signed for Brighton and Hove Albion but Slot may be looking for somebody to emulate Wieffer’s role – despite not trying to sign the midfielder himself.
Endo is combative and a solid performer but he isn’t particularly dynamic going forward and doesn’t have the progressing passing range of a player like Wieffer.
The Japanese star was impressive last season but if Slot brings over a similar approach from Feyenoord, he isn’t the ideal fit.
It’s also worth factoring in age; Endo is 31 and turns 32 come February, so his market value is likely to diminish in the next two windows.
Cashing in now will therefore seem appealing and would add funds to the budget for a potential replacement.
The argument in favour of keeping Endo is that Liverpool aren’t exactly blessed with other defensive midfield options.
Ryan Gravenberch is better when given the freedom to go from box to box and Stefan Bajcetic is only just battling back from a long lay-off.
Alexis Mac Allister played there at times last season but doesn’t quite have the physicality of a player like Wieffer.
Endo found himself featuring in that role prominently last season with Klopp hailing him as ‘very important’.
Endo can provide a solid base for another season, giving Liverpool some time to locate an ideal long-term successor.
The start of the season is around the corner and letting Endo leave without a replacement lined up would be a gamble – especially with a potentially tricky start to the campaign.
Richard Hughes will of course have a major say but it’s unlikely that Liverpool would sell a player with Slot’s acceptance.
The Liverpool boss must now decide whether to sell and try to find a replacement, risking going into the season with limited options in holding midfield, or stick with Endo and risk his value dropping inside the next year.
That isn’t an easy call, but this is exactly what Slot is being paid to do and he has to come to a decision quickly with just over a month of the transfer window to go.
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