Liverpool look set for a summer clear-out as Arne Slot begins to stamp his own mark on the squad.
Slot has done a majestic job with the group of players he inherited from Jurgen Klopp, winning the Premier League title at the first attempt.
However, as good as Liverpool have been in 2024/25, there are also some clear areas for improvement.
This is likely to be addressed in the transfer market as Liverpool look to defend their title in 2025/26.
There are a number of ‘untouchable’ players in the Liverpool squad, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and several more being completely assured of their futures at the club.
For others, such as Wataru Endo, what happens next is far less clear. Endo could reportedly be sold after starting just one Premier League match all season. However, the Japan captain has once again publicly demonstrated why Slot would be crazy to let him go.
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Wataru Endo highlights winners’ mindset
Having won the Premier League at a canter, some at Liverpool may feel they have a bit of a free pass next season.
With Slot likely to bring in new players, it is possible that a transitional feeling develops as the pressure to win again eases off slightly.
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Happily, the likes of Van Dijk, Salah, Alisson Becker and Andy Robertson are unlikely to let that happen. And, after his latest comments on The Wataru Endo Podcast, Endo can be added to that list.
Filmed before Liverpool confirmed themselves as champions three weeks ago, the 32-year-old rejected suggestions that he should feel as though he has ‘made it’ as a footballer after joining the Reds in 2023.
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“I think that’s my style, because even if you achieve the goals, I’m still thinking what’s the next goal for me,” Endo says. “Now I’m at Liverpool and I really wanted to be a Premier League player, but now for me it’s all about winning the title.”
Asked whether he might start to feel like his journey is complete once Liverpool win the English top division, Endo showed his winner’s mentality by once again rejecting the idea.
“I might think I’ve made it,” he said. “But then I’ll start thinking I want to win the Champions League and Premier League twice in a row, and the World Cup! That’s my mind. That mindset helps me to be a professional football player, a Premier League player and Japan national team captain.”
No reason for Endo to leave Liverpool
It is this kind of mindset which has helped Endo to continue at Liverpool even when it looked as though Slot did not fancy him last summer.
The Japanese stood up to be counted and ended up making an important contribution to the Reds’ title win. At a club where winning should be a prerequisite, Endo’s mentality is much needed.
It’s one thing for starters like Van Dijk and Salah to be iron-clad in their desire to win more and more, but it’s when the squad players like Endo have that same mentality that great things become possible.
Liverpool could probably bring a player in who would be trusted to play more than the No. 3 next season. But finding someone with that same inherent desire to win and to keep standards as high as possible is a completely different task.
If Endo wants to leave for more regular game time then of course it’s something Liverpool will have to look at. But if he is happy to stay and keep contributing to more trophies, then Slot absolutely must keep him around.