Wataru Endo’s stint at Liverpool seems to be running out of steam quicker than anyone anticipated. And new boss Arne Slot is not exactly rolling out the red carpet.
After a solid season under Klopp, it looked like Endo had found his groove in the Premier League. But fast forward to now, and the 31-year-old is stuck warming bench while Slot experiments with younger players.
Endo’s arrival from Stuttgart last summer was hardly headline news. But he became a dependable option in midfield, and he needed all the help it could get at that time.
Klopp even had called him “world-class,” and while it was not always pretty, Endo delivered. Liverpool pushed for the title, and secured Champions League football, and Endo played his part.
But now time has changed and the atmosphere at Anfield has changed. Slot has his new ideas and new favourites, and suddenly Endo’s importance has plummeted.
Liverpool career of Wataru Endo is fading fast under Arne Slot
Speaking on The Athletic’s Walk On podcast, journalist Jones pointed out, that Slot barely gave him any minutes in pre-season and has now relegated him to a benchwarmer role on matchdays. This is obviously not exactly the career trajectory Endo was hoping for. He said:
“I think we’ve seen in pre-season, and Slot’s lack of usage of him – and the fact that ultimately, Liverpool decided to recruit a number six as well – that he doesn’t appear to be part of Liverpool’s long-term plans.
I think in terms of this year, now that you’ve got him, I think that role of maybe not starting games but to do sort of the final 20 minutes, the final 15 minutes of a game when hopefully Liverpool are quite comfortable to be able to bring him on and shore things up.
He can keep the ball ticking, he can do the simple stuff, he just isn’t really that progressive passer. That’s the problem.”
Last season and this season for Endo are like night and day
| Wataru Endo’s Premier League statistics – Liverpool squad ranking, 2023/24 | ||
| Stats | Output | Squad rank |
| Appearances | 29 | 10th |
| Yellow Cards | 10 | 1st |
| Pass Completion Rate Per Game (%) | 88.4 | 6th |
| Tackles Per Game | 1.7 | 5th |
| Aerial Duels Won Per Game | 1.1 | 5th |
| Match rating | 6.59 | 20th |
It is quite clear that Slot does not see Endo in his long-term plans. The stats might show that Endo was a solid performer last season – but this season? Cameo appearances and that’s all.
Once Harvey Elliott’s back and Tyler Morton keeps developing, it is hard to imagine Endo doing anything other than polishing the bench. So, unless there is a sudden U-turn, his days at Anfield are probably numbered.
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