There are some Liverpool players you genuinely struggle to criticise.
Wataru Endo is one of them.
The Japanese midfielder has always conducted himself brilliantly at Anfield. He works hard, never complains and has consistently shown an excellent attitude, even when his opportunities have become increasingly limited.
But sometimes football is simply about making difficult decisions.
And if reports are correct that Liverpool are prepared to listen to offers for Endo when the January transfer window opens, I think it is the right time to move him on.
Not because I don’t like him.
Quite the opposite.
I absolutely love his attitude.
But I don’t think he is good enough for where Liverpool need to be heading.
Endo has been a great servant
Endo deserves enormous credit for what he has given Liverpool.
He arrived from Stuttgart in 2023 and quickly became an important part of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
He made 43 appearances during his first season and played a significant role in Liverpool’s League Cup success.
He was never the flashiest player.
He wasn’t going to dominate games with spectacular passes or score spectacular goals.
But he gave Liverpool something they needed at the time.
Reliability.
And, more importantly, he gave absolutely everything whenever he stepped onto the pitch.
That’s why he became such a popular figure among supporters.
But the situation has changed
The problem is that Liverpool have moved on.
The midfield has changed.
The manager has changed.
The style of football has changed.
And under Andoni Iraola, Endo has found himself well down the pecking order.
The statistics tell you plenty.
Endo hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League football this season and was left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad.
Iraola has also explained that Endo is competing with Trey Nyoni, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for midfield minutes.
Then came the Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham.
Even with Iraola making 10 changes, Endo wasn’t given the start many expected.
That tells you where things stand.
Liverpool need something different
This is the biggest reason I think Liverpool should accept an offer if one arrives.
It’s not simply about Endo being a bad player.
He’s not.
It’s about whether he gives Liverpool what they need going forward.
I don’t think he does.
Liverpool’s midfield has already been one of the biggest concerns during the opening weeks of this season.
The Reds need players capable of playing with intensity, moving the ball quickly, covering ground and helping Iraola establish his style.
We’ve seen how much Liverpool can struggle when the midfield doesn’t control a game.
And if the club are going to bring in another midfielder, keeping Endo around simply because supporters love him doesn’t make much sense.
January could be the perfect time
Endo’s contract expires at the end of the season.
That makes January potentially the last realistic opportunity for Liverpool to receive a transfer fee rather than simply allowing him to leave for nothing.
That’s exactly what the latest reports are suggesting Liverpool are considering.
And honestly, I think it would make sense for everyone.
Endo deserves to be playing football.
Liverpool need to free up space in the squad and potentially bring in a midfielder better suited to Iraola’s plans.
It’s a footballing decision rather than a personal one.
I will always have a lot of respect for Endo
This is the difficult part.
Because even though I believe Liverpool should move him on, I’ll always have a lot of respect for Wataru Endo.
He never sulked.
He never caused problems.
He never appeared to complain about his lack of minutes.
He simply kept working.
That’s exactly why this isn’t an article criticising the man.
It’s an assessment of the footballer and where Liverpool are now.
Sometimes a player can be a fantastic professional and a brilliant servant to the club while also no longer being the right player for the next chapter.
I think Endo has reached that point at Liverpool.
If a reasonable offer arrives in January, I would take it.
Thank him for everything.
Give him the respect he deserves.
And allow him to go somewhere where he can play regularly again.
Because as much as I love Wataru Endo’s attitude, Liverpool cannot make football decisions based on sentiment.
The club have to keep moving forward.
And for me, that means it’s time for Endo and Liverpool to go their separate ways.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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