John Aldrige expresses gratitude to the fortunate stars that allowed Liverpool to accept a lackluster summer move.
February 20, 2024 / By Siddharth Juyal
Wataru Endo was signed by Liverpool instead of Moises Caicedo, and John Aldridge is happy about it.
The legendary player for Liverpool, John Aldridge, feels that the team avoided disaster by signing Wataru Endo instead of Moises Caicedo. In terms of performance, Caicedo has fallen short of the enormous price Chelsea paid Brighton & Hove Albion for him.Despite the Japan captain’s unknown reputation, Liverpool bought Endo from Stuttgart during the summer when Caicedo signed with the London rivals. Endo has been instrumental for the Reds this season.
Given Endo’s age and Stuttgart’s standing in the Bundesliga, Man supporters and commentators questioned the signing of the player. But the 31-year-old disproved the skeptics by displaying his combative abilities and penchant for skillfully and passionately defending.
Wataru Endo, a star for Liverpool, has been essential to the midfield this year.
Endo was progressively added to the starting lineup by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who had previously started Alexis Mac Allister at number six. The Japanese international made good use of his opportunity to get acquainted to the Premier League’s fast-paced and fiercely competitive environment.
This season, the 31-year-old has made 26 appearances across all competitions and has contributed two goals and an assist. Endo has established himself as a mainstay in Liverpool’s defensive midfield role, helping to create possession and protecting the back line.
Aldridge expressed his relief when Liverpool signed Endo rather than Caicedo in his column for the Liverpool Echo. He penned:Although it’s early, it appears that Moises Caicedo saved Liverpool from certain disaster. Although he isn’t a £110 million player, he is still an excellent player. We managed to avoid that, and when we did, we made smart purchases. All we need to do is make sure he doesn’t end up winning the midfield this weekend. Any game may be won by controlling the midfield. There is work for you to do. Endo, we’ve needed him more and more as the season has progressed. He has demonstrated genuine talent that others were unaware of.
Liverpool attempted to sign Caicedo as Chelsea prolonged the negotiation with Brighton for the Ecuadorian international. However, the 22-year-old opted to wait for the London club despite Brighton accepting a huge bid from the Reds.
Klopp: “We wanted Bellingham and realised it would not happen”.
“We were lucky… we found Wataru!” . tweet.com/MZOZ5lmXKo
“We thought we could maybe do Caicedo. So we went in… but he had an emotional agreement already with Chelsea and Pochettino. Lavia had his own reasons. So we were there”.
— From Fabrizio Romano on Twitter: 31 January 2024
In the end, Caicedo joined Chelsea, and they also acquired Romeo Lavia, a summer target for the Reds, to go on their extravagant spending binge. Nevertheless, Liverpool leads 10th-place Chelsea by 22 points at the top of the Premier League.The London rivals are also potentially facing consequences for financial breaches, as they have spent billions on numerous failed signings. Meanwhile, the Reds have continued to demonstrate that they cannot buy success every time by astutely working in the transfer market with limited resources. Endo is a prime example of vigorous scouting and making smart choices instead of relying on reputation only.
