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- Klinsmann backs Endo to succeed at Liverpool
- Klopp full of surprises
- Japanese star expected to help fill hole in midfield
WHAT HAPPENED? Endo joined the Reds in a £19 million ($24m), with the club seemingly pivoting to the Japanese captain after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. The move left many onlookers surprised, as Liverpool generally don't sign players like the 30-year-old midfielder with the club generally signing younger stars.
Endo, though, comes with experience, having spent the last four years as a key player at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga with a plethora of international duty with Japan in both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
Klinsmann, a Stuttgart legend, is among those that was stunned to see his countryman Klopp raid his former club. However, Klinsmann believes that Klopp knows exactly what he's doing as the former Bayern Munich, Germany and U.S. men's national team manager says Endo can be a key figure for the Reds.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Nothing surprises me about Jurgen Klopp!" Klinsmann said. "Klopp is always always ready for a surprise! What I adore about Jurgen Klopp is that he reads the player so deeply and he knows exactly how a specific player fits in his team with whatever he wants to play from a system point of view. He knows it from a human side, he knows it from a technical and tactical side. When he makes those decisions, then it's always well thought through. He knows what he wants to get from Endo and what he has to play at Liverpool.
"I don't know if he always will be a starter or not but this guy is a leader. This guy, even if he comes off the bench, he will do his job for Liverpool. Yes, in the first moment, I was surprised to see what he's doing now, but it's a huge compliment actually for Endo, a huge compliment to be considered by Liverpool and to go there and get that opportunity.
"It's very, very interesting but it doesn't surprise me because Jurgen Klopp thinks through that kind of transfer really well and he will do well at Liverpool."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Endo fills a major need for Liverpool, who are in the midst of a midfield rebuild. The club was thin at the position entering the summer, and then saw it weakened further by the losses of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to the Saudi Pro League.
Thus far, Liverpool have signed Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai but there still could be business done this summer to help plug the holes still left in the position as the club eyes a move for Bayern's Ryan Gravenberch.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? Endo could make his Reds debut as soon as Saturday when Liverpool face Bournemouth in their second match of the Premier League season.