Liverpool star puts his foot down and sends transfer message: “It’s up to me!”

Liverpool have already signed Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili this summer but the Reds also have decisions to make when it comes to keeping hold of senior stars

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has indicated he will be the one to decide whether his future lies at Anfield, while reinforcing his plans to stay… for now. The Japan international struggled for Premier League minutes under Arne Slot last season and has been the subject of interest from Germany.

The Japanese international, 32, joined Liverpool in Jurgen Klopp’s final summer transfer window. He featured less regularly under Klopp’s successor Arne Slot, though, playing just 260 Premier League minutes in the 2024-25 season

“I told you I’m staying!” Endo said at a Q&A event in Kanagawa, Japan, as quoted by Soccer Digest and translated by the Echo. “If the club tells me to leave… No, I’m staying. I have a contract. It’s up to me to make the final decision. Basically, I’m staying, for now.

He also considered the season a success despite his lack of action, “Looking back, I think it was a good season,” he added.

“I didn’t have many opportunities to play at Liverpool. But in the end, we won the Premier League and qualified for the World Cup with the national team, so it was a great season that will lead to next season.”

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Back in January, Endo gave a pragmatic response to questions about his spell on the fringes of the team. “I don’t get frustrated or anything like that, I always try to get ready to help the team,” he said after playing in an FA Cup win against Accrington Stanley. “Of course I want to play every game but we need everyone in the squad. The thing I can do is prepare for every game.

“I think we played well, the players who don’t play constantly have played very well so that is the most important thing for the team to achieve something. We need everybody so we need to get ready for every game that’s coming.”

Endo still has two years left on his Liverpool deal after joining from Stuttgart in 2023. A return to Germany has been touted, but he appears happy to stay and contribute where he can.

The midfielder will be joined by a number of new team-mates next season. Jeremie Frimpong has already completed a permanent move from Bayer Leverkusen, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of completing a Premier League record move from the same team.

Liverpool have also added Giorgi Mamardashvili to their ranks this summer after the former Valencia goalkeeper agreed a move last year. His arrival has brought about the end of Caoimhin Kelleher’s time at Anfield, with the Irish international moving to Brentford.

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