Lke a thunderbolt from the blue sky! On the same day, there was news that Liverpool had sent an offer to Stuttgart for the experienced Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, and then the news that the transfer was about to take place.

This purchase of the Reds was not even announced, but after they failed to sign for the expensive Premier League beasts Caicedo and Romeo Lavia – for which they had the money – they had to react quickly.

Reputable Athletic, referring to its sources from Germany, reports that Stuttgart will earn as much as 19,000,000 euros by selling the 30-year-old Japanese player.

On the one side a lot of money for a man who has entered the fourth decade of his life and entered the last year of his contract. And on the other side, we are talking about the Bundesliga average player from the middle of the pitch.

Endo is far from the spotlight, in large part because he plays for Stuttgart, which barely survived in the Bundesliga last season.

And when we scratch a little under the surface, we conclude that this is one of the most underrated midfielders in the German elite. Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Endo has won the most balls in his third of the field (254), won the most aerial duels (219), had the most cleared dangers (175), and the most interventions in the jump (105) among midfielders.

He is the second Bundesliga midfielder in the mentioned period by the number of contacts with the ball (6511), second by the number of completed passes (3940), second with the most balls won in the opponent’s third (404), second by the number of successful starts.

The captain of Stuttgart is a defensive midfielder, but countless times during his career, he also played as a central defender and can serve as an “eight.”

Endo got his doctorate in the Bundesliga. Still, the big question is how, at the age of 31, who, after Japan, has only played for Sint Truiden and Stuttgart in Europe, will he manage in the most competitive and best league on the planet.

Liverpool lost three midfielders this summer. Fabinho and Jordan Henderson left for Saudi Arabia, Naby Keita left Anfield after his contract expired, and Liverpool’s maneuvering was bringing Alexis McAllister early in the transfer window.

The question is, is Endo, after Liverpool rejected the express wishes of Lavia and Caicedo, a panic solution for the Premier League team?