Celtic are eyeing up a surprise move for a Premier League star who has been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner, according to a new report.
Rodgers wants reaction after derby defeat
Celtic remain in control of the Scottish Premiership title race, but their final match before the international break ended in heartbreak with a 3-2 defeat to fierce rivals Rangers.
The defeat, which came courtesy of a late strike from Rangers' Hamza Igamane, marked the first time the Hoops have been beaten by Rangers at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership since October 2020.
Hamza-Igamane-Rangers
On that day, a brace from defender Connor Goldson was enough to secure all three points for the Gers, who later went on to clinch the title. Speaking after his side's most-recent Old Firm defeat, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers not only urged his side to bounce back, but also apologised to the club's fans.
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This Celtic star should be the Player of the Year over both Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.
"Firstly, the message to the supporters is, we apologise because we always want to win games here and against our big rivals, so, for them, it's not a great feeling," he said. "In every facet of the game, we have to be much better, and if you're going to be a champion this year, you've got to go and show that you're a champion and you've got to earn it."
He added: "So there are eight games to go, with 13 points, but we've got a lot of big games to play."
Celtic eyeing move for Liverpool cult hero Endo
It was Japanese duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate who were on the scoresheet for Celtic in their defeat to Rangers, with both having since been called up for international duty by Japan. Neither featured as Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in World Cup qualifying last week, however one man who did was Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, who could soon be joining his countrymen at Parkhead.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha in action with Liverpool's Wataru Endo
Endo, who joined the Reds in 2023, has struggled for game time under new manager Arne Slot this season, yet to start a Premier League match and featuring for just 140 minutes in Liverpool’s Champions League run.
According to reports relayed by Glasgow World, the 32-year-old could now leave Anfield at the end of the season, and Celtic are one of a number of clubs considering a summer swoop. Italian giants AC Milan, as well as Premier League trio Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town are also keen on the Liverpool star.
Endo has previously been compared to Liverpool cult hero James Milner by former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp because of his willingness to "throw everything on the pitch", and his versatility and heart have formed him a similar connection to the Anfield faitfhul as the one Milner had, with Slot saying: "What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up."