It was the right decision for Jürgen Klopp to alter Liverpool’s transfer strategy for the amazing ace who is now considered ‘world class’.

Since the 1-1 draw with Man City, Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has been highlighting the strengths of several players. One midfield player is not to be disregarded.

If you had been informed in the summer that Liverpool would play Manchester City at Anfield in March, with Joe Gomez starting at left-back, Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah making up half of the defence, and Wataru Endō among the first names on the roster, you could have been forgiven for questioning what had gone wrong.

When Jürgen Klopp made roster changes to his Liverpool club last summer, that was not the team that was expected. On the injury front, however, nobody could have predicted anything near to what transpired. Up to ten players, including certain starters like Alisson and Ibrahima Konaté, were sidelined, while Mohamed Salah was limited to 30 minutes of action off the bench.

But what happened at Anfield in a match that could have been crucial in the three-way fight for the Premier League title was not at all what many had anticipated a few months ago. Liverpool felt disappointed not to win by the end. Alexis Mac Allister ought to have won a second spot-kick, and Luis Díaz had opportunities.

A reversal in the second half was essential to all of that. Liverpool was still very much in the game, but Manchester City rightly led after the first forty-five minutes of play. However, Liverpool was clearly in the lead after the half.

The midfield was the source of it all. Kevin De Bruyne had discovered spaces earlier in the game, but those gaps had closed. Erling Haaland had very little chance to kick, and the balls into Phil Foden were blocked at the source.

The running that Endō, Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Harvey Elliott completed was essential to everything. The 31-year-old Endō played with the intensity of a player ten years younger.

“What do you anticipate? that the 30-year-old Japanese skipper you sign would be an exceptional player in the Premier League?” stated Klopp in a post-Manchester City interview with BBC Sport.

“We thought he would be a terrific player, but what he’s doing with that role, whether it be with Macca, Dom, or Harvey—what a game he played, by the way— You never know when someone can reach world-class status, but that’s exactly what transpired.”

That really is a great compliment. However, it is not uncalled for. With more than 20 minutes of regular time remaining, De Bruyne was substituted by Endō, who played an outstanding game against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola concluded that Mateo Kovačić was the person needed to help turn the tide. By then, Endō, Mac Allister, and Elliott were winning the midfield battle, and Manchester City’s major creator was out of the game.

Endō was not your average Liverpool transfer. He was well over the age the Reds typically move for at thirty. However, Klopp and previous sporting director Jörg Schmadtke were completely justified in their $21 million (£16 million/€19 million) transfer; it is difficult to envision Moisés Caicedo, who would have cost about seven times as much, having an influence similar to Endō’s this season.

More news……

Liverpool sends scouts to see the £60 million midfield player against Arsenal.

According to sources, Liverpool dispatched scouts to study Alan Varela, a £60 million transfer target, during Porto’s Champions League victory over Arsenal last week.

Since moving from Boca Juniors in his home Argentina to Portuguese club Porto in August, the 22-year-old defensive midfielder has drawn attention.

Leading teams are allegedly keeping an eye on Varela’s status in anticipation of a potential transfer at the end of the current campaign.

Seven of the Argentine’s twenty-eight outings for Porto have come in the Champions League.

Porto qualified for the round of sixteen after finishing second behind Barcelona thanks to his assistance in winning four of their six group games.

Prior to their second meeting at the Emirates on March 12, Porto leads Arsenal 1-0 from the first leg. A quarterfinal spot is up for grabs.

“We achieved a fantastic outcome,” Pepe declared. We need to be even more concentrated than we were today because it will be even harder in London. We must be faultless.

Galeno’s goal was crucial to our hopes of making it to the quarterfinals. We were aware that the game would be difficult.

“We put on a great show and won with a great goal, but Arsenal has a lot of quality.”