Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Liverpool star suffering under Arne Slot eyed by Fulham in clever January coup

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, Fulham badge

Fulham could move for Wataru Endo in January

Fulham are weighing up a January move for a blameless Liverpool star unsuited to and marginalised by Arne Slot, according to reports.

The transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot has been seamless at Liverpool and the vast majority of players within the squad are benefitting. Indeed, Cody Gakpo has already breached double figures for goals from the left wing (11), Luis Diaz is enjoying his most potent campaign to date (12 goals in 24 appearances), and Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation in central midfield, to name just three examples.

However, there are a handful of stars who have regressed in either performance or usefulness as a result of the managerial change.

Jarell Quansah is one, while Darwin Nunez’s return of four goals in 23 matches is dismal given the abundance of chances created for the Uruguayan.

Another who’s taken a backwards step since Klopp left is defensive midfielder, Wataru Endo, who according to The Daily Mail, has emerged on Fulham’s radar.

Marco Silva’s side are flying high in 8th position at present. They’re firmly in the mix for European qualification and per the report, they’d like to add to their ranks to strengthen that charge. Fulham haven’t qualified for Europe since a Europa League campaign in the 2011/12 season.

An attacking option is being sought, as is cover in central midfield. That’s where Endo comes in, with the 31-year-old painfully underused at Anfield this season.

The report concluded: ‘Wataru Endo has been touted as a possibility [for Fulham] should Liverpool consider selling.’

What’s gone wrong for Wataru Endo this season?

Endo cost Liverpool £16m to sign from Stuttgart in the summer of 2023. He was a surprise signing given his age, though Liverpool required bodies in midfield after transfer targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both elected to join Chelsea instead.

Endo proved an almost instant hit on Merseyside, winning favour for his dogged displays and tireless workrate in the middle of the park.

However, new boss Arne Slot favours more technical-minded and creative midfielders as opposed to out-and-out disruptors like Endo.

As such, Endo hasn’t made a single Premier League start this season, with the vast bulk of his appearances late cameos off the bench. He was even used out of position as a makeshift centre-back in the League Cup quarter-final victory over Southampton.

Endo did get more than half an hour in midfield in the 5-0 thumping of West Ham on Sunday. However, Liverpool were already four goals up at the time of his introduction and Slot was protecting Gravenberch – the man Endo replaced – who is one yellow card away from a one-match ban.

In a recent update from The Athletic regarding Liverpool’s transfer plans, their Reds reporter, James Pearce, summed up why Endo has been marginalised in seven words.

Pearce wrote the unlucky midfielder is simply “not suited to Slot’s style of play.”

Liverpool rejected an £11.8m bid for Endo from Marseille last summer. However, that bid arrived early in the window before Slot had the necessary amount of time to assess his squad.

With Endo clearly now deemed a mismatch for Slot, a sizeable bid from Fulham could seemingly tempt Liverpool into cutting ties next month.

Latest Liverpool news – Zubimendi blow / Double full-back deal

In other news, multiple reports claim Real Madrid could land yet another blow on Liverpool in the transfer market.

Los Blancos are not only chasing Trent Alexander-Arnold, but have now entered the race for Martin Zubimendi – Liverpool’s No 1 target from last summer.

Real Madrid previously denied Liverpool their top midfield targets in the summer windows of 2022 (Aurelien Tchouameni) and 2023 (Jude Bellingham).

They could now make it a hattrick with Zubimendi and the Spanish giant hold two distinct advantages over the Reds.

Elsewhere, transfer insider Rudy Galetti has exclusively told TEAMtalk Liverpool are sizing up a double signing in the full-back positions.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been lined up for the right-back role if Alexander-Arnold heads to The Bernabeu. At left-back, the need to sign a successor to the declining Andy Robertson is clear and Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) is wanted.

The full details in Galetti’s exclusive can be found here.

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