Liverpool midfielder emerges as Bundesliga transfer target | OneFootball

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has emerged on the transfer shortlist for Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, which could be a blow to Arne Slot's squad depth.

Endo is not a starter in Liverpool's strongest lineup – the Japan international has not started a single Premier League game and only once in the Champions League this season. But he often appears off the bench to help shore thing up in tight contests.

BILD notes that Frankfurt's summer recruitment plans have led them to Endo, an experienced player already proven in the Bundesliga after four seasons with Stuttgart.

Endo recently turned 32 and has another two years left on his contract. At this stage of his career, his choice would be whether to remain a back-up player at Liverpool, or push for an opportunity where his game time would be way more substantial.

Frankfurt could still likely offer Champions League football next season, recently ending a three-game losing streak but maintaining a three-point buffer above fifth-place RB Leipzig in the top four. As one of the favourites left in the Europa League, having previously won the competition in 2022, Eintracht's chances of securing Champions League qualification are effectively doubled.

In the event of moving on, Endo would leave Liverpool having won the Carabao Cup and, almost certainly, this season’s Premier League title.

But his departure would require Liverpool to find a replacement in midfield, not necessarily the easiest task given the role they're offering, as Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai are the first four in the central midfield pecking order.