'People keep asking' - Wataru Endo makes honest claim about Liverpool situation after rejected transfer bid
Wataru Endo has found game time hard to come by at Liverpool since Arne Slot was appointed head coach. A surprise £16.2m signing from VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2023, he went on to make 43 appearances last season under Jurgen Klopp - including 34 starts - as he helped the Reds qualify for the Champions League and win the League Cup.
However, after seeing a summer move for Martin Zubimendi collapse, Ryan Gravenberch has leapt ahead of the Japan international in the pecking order at number six this season.
The Dutchman has completed every minute of Liverpool’s 15 matches in the Premier League and Champions League, with Endo’s only two starts both coming in the League Cup.
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Meanwhile, has been limited to just five substitute appearances, totalling a combined 20 minutes, in the English top-flight and Europe’s elite club competition.
The Japan captain's future has been the subject of ongoing transfer speculation since Slot’s arrival. Marseille saw a £12m bid rejected for the 31-year-old last summer, and while he ended up staying put, he has recently been linked with a January move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It remains to be seen if the midfielder could be on the move when the transfer window re-opens. But while his game time has been limited at Anfield so far this season, Endo has insisted he remains confident and working hard to ensure he stays at the top of his game.
"With regards to attacking, you could say Slot is more positional,” said Endo of his new head coach. “He's the kind of coach who's very precise about where each individual player should be positioned…
"Of course, when you're not playing, people keep asking about your game sense or if it's affecting your performance.
"I'm not playing, but I'm training very hard to keep my condition, and as captain I feel I have to show a high level of performance for the national team.
"For that to happen, I just have to play with confidence. I know that when I'm not playing, everybody is looking closely at my performance, and so I have to maintain a high level and make sure I give 100%."