Wataru Endo is already in England and will undergo his medical today after Liverpool agreed a deal worth £21.5m including add-ons with Stuttgart, according to Bild reporter Tobi Altschaffl.
Jurgen Klopp has been desperately trying to strengthen his defensive midfield options this summer and has been forced to look at alternatives after missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.
Several players have been linked with a move to Anfield in recent weeks but Endo has emerged as a surprise target with multiple sources claiming that Liverpool are now on the verge of signing the 30-year-old.
Bild reporter Altschaffl claims that Endo flew in to England via a private jet on Wednesday night after Liverpool agreed a deal with Stuttgart having made initial contact with the club on Tuesday.
Altschaffl says the Reds will pay £17.2m [£20m] plus £4.3m [€5m] in add-ons for the defensive midfielder and Endo was sold on the move to Liverpool following talks with Jurgen Klopp.
Fabrizio Romano wrote in his column for the Guardian that Endo will undergo his medical today and already agreed personal terms, so the move is expected to be wrapped-up swiftly.
Endo joined Stuttgart initially on a season-long loan in 2019 before completing a permanent deal. He has since become a fan favourite at the MHPArena and was appointed captain of the club.
He has racked up 133 appearances across all competitions, scored 15 goals, and recorded 12 assists. Last season, he was ever-present for Stuttgart as the Japanese international helped his club narrowly escape relegation by winning a play-off against Hamburg.
Endo has 50 caps for Japan and was in his country’s squad at last year’s World Cup in Qatar. He played a crucial role as they defeated tournament favourites Germany and Spain to finish top of their group, however, they lost on penalties to Croatia in the last 16.
Surprise signing
Liverpool were linked with several players for the defensive role after selling Fabinho to Al-Ittihad and Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq last month but it looks like Klopp has settled on a more experienced player in Endo.
According to the Guardian, new Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke was behind the transfer of the versatile midfielder who can play as a defensive midfielder, centre-back, or as full-back.
Klopp wanted someone to fill in the James Milner role which was offered to Henderson prior to his exit from Anfield, however, the England international wanted regular playing time which couldn’t be guaranteed by the German coach.
Endo is expected to fill the void as a utility player for the Reds. He was 4th in terms of duels won last season in the Bundesliga and 7th when it came to distance covered.
He was in action for Stuttgart in their German Cup game against TSG Balingen last Saturday, scoring in the 4-0 win.
