Liverpool have completed the signing of the Japan captain Wataru Endo for about €19m (£16.2m). The 30-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Anfield, subject to a work permit and international clearance.
Liverpool moved for the former Stuttgart captain after missing out on Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia to Chelsea in the past week. Endo’s age profile represents a departure from previous transfer targets but Klopp believes the midfielder’s quality and experience will help rejuvenate his team alongside the new additions Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Endo can operate in central defence and at right-back but is viewed by Liverpool as a defensive midfielder.
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Klopp said: “I’m really happy. Wataru is a really good player. I know in this world of football how it goes and stuff like this, but have a look, have a look, because he’s a really good player. Experienced player, captain of Stuttgart, captain of Japan, speaks good English, nice fella, family man, machine on the pitch, good footballer on top of that, sensational attitude. So, I’m really happy. He’s a good footballer, very experienced and loves to work extremely hard.”