How much is Wataru Endo worth? Here’s the Liverpool transfer fee

Having missed out on some of their top transfer targets, Liverpool’s search for a defensive midfielder has taken them in a surprising new direction with Stuttgart’s Wataru Endo joining the Merseyside club. Here’s a look at how much Wataru Endo is worth and the  Liverpool transfer fee.

The 30 year old is a very different kind of profile to Liverpool’s previous defensive midfield targets who were all young and appeared to further supplement a generational shift that is taking place in the Reds midfield this summer. Endo is clearly towards the other end of his career and would bring experience and leadership in the middle of the park.

He was previously the captain at Bundesliga side Stuttgart. Endo joined when the club was in the German second tier but quickly cemented himself as an integral part of the side, helping them win promotion in 2020 and the Japanese international has failed to start only three Bundesliga matches in the past three years.

That’s testament to his durability and with Endo having also been used as a central defender, he has strong defensive qualities and is good in the air for a midfield player. The Japanese international also has quite an impressive goalscoring record for a player in his position, netting 5 times in the German top flight last term.

Market value – How much is Wataru Endo worth?

This deal has progressed rapidly with Endo already in Liverpool, finalising the transfer. Subject to a work permit being processed in time, he could even start against Bournemouth this Saturday with Liverpool’s need for a new defensive midfielder increasingly pressing. 

However, it’s fair to say that Endo’s market value is considerably less than previous targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia who will both line up for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea this season.

With only one year left to run on his present deal at Stuttgart and with the transfer window entering its final fortnight, the Bundesliga side were in danger of losing Endo for nothing next summer. Therefore the player's market value was not high and without Premier League interest, Stuttgart may have struggled to find an interested party above €10m.

According to transfermarkt, Endo’s value is only €6.5m, although in the present market, many midfield players are moving for significantly more than their perceived valuation and this deal will be no exception.

Liverpool transfer fee

The Wataru Endo transfer fee is reportedly in the region of €19m, just over £16m. That’s not a huge sum by Premier League standards and is only a fraction of the potentially record breaking bid that Liverpool submitted last week for Moises Caicedo, before the Ecuador international opted to join Chelsea.

The transfer will still see Stuttgart net a huge profit on the 30 year old who initially joined them from Belgian side Sint-Truiden for €1.7m. They’ll see this as good business, although it does leave them with a big hole to fill in their squad on the eve of the new Bundesliga season.

Liverpool are also still likely to bring in at least one other midfielder once this deal is completed. Endo may prove a smart addition, but he could miss six Reds games at the beginning of next year when the Asian Cup takes place in Qatar given he is a guaranteed pick for a Japanese side that will be expected to go far in the tournament.

21 year old Ryan Gravenberch is another potential target who would also add to Liverpool’s midfield options with Jurgen Klopp believed to be an admirer. However the club’s policy does look to have shifted away from making one huge statement signing towards cheaper options who will add depth to the squad and compete amongst themselves for a place in the team.

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