Liverpool's Midfield Dilemma: Endo's Future and New Signings
Liverpool’s midfield puzzle is about to get ripped up again.
A few weeks remain in the summer window and the club have already moved decisively, bringing in three new faces. Links to Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye hint that the recruitment drive isn’t finished yet. But the numbers are brutal: the senior squad has no free non-homegrown slots. Someone has to go.
Targeting homegrown players would be the simple workaround. The market says otherwise. With Elliott Anderson and Morgan Rogers both sold for fees north of £115 million, the price of English talent has gone through the roof. Liverpool can’t just shop their way out of this. They may have to sell before they buy.
And one name now sits right in the middle of that conversation.
Endo on the market
Liverpool are prepared to listen to offers for Wataru Endo this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke. That stance lays bare the trade-off facing Richard Hughes and Andoni Iraola: already thin squad depth, but a locked registration list.
Calvin Ramsay has also been mentioned as a possible departure, yet Liverpool’s defensive frailty under Iraola complicates that idea. With the back line already under scrutiny, moving on a young full-back is far from straightforward. Ramsay might stay by necessity.
That leaves Endo.
The 34-year-old has just returned from a major injury and has only a year left on his contract. From a pure asset-management point of view, this is the last realistic chance to cash in on a veteran who may not be central to the long-term project.
There’s a catch. Letting him go without a reliable replacement could blow a hole straight through the heart of Liverpool’s structure. Last season already exposed how fragile the holding role can be when it misfires. Another year of instability in that position would be hard to justify.
So if Endo leaves, the conclusion is unavoidable: Liverpool must sign a new number six.
The hunt for a new anchor
The need has been obvious for months. Almost every serious assessment of Liverpool’s squad has circled the same area in red ink: defensive midfield.
Ryan Gravenberch’s inconsistency only sharpened that focus. He has shown flashes but not the steady, positionally disciplined presence required at the base of midfield. Despite that, Liverpool rewarded him with a lucrative new deal, effectively committing to him for the medium term. They are tied to his development curve now, not his current level.
That cannot be the end of the conversation.
Across Europe, several holding midfielders have been linked with Anfield. Two names keep resurfacing: Marc Casado and Adam Wharton.
Barcelona have told Casado he can leave, opening a clear path for suitors. At 20, he offers energy and tactical intelligence, a player who could grow into the role rather than dominate it immediately. Wharton is a different proposition. Crystal Palace do not want to sell and have made that stance clear, yet he fits Liverpool’s needs almost perfectly: press-resistant, composed, with the range to dictate games.
The problem is the price. Wharton is expected to cost around €100 million. That is elite-level money for a player still at the start of his Premier League journey.
Liverpool now stand at a familiar crossroads. Do they gamble big on a ready-made anchor like Wharton, or back their recruitment team to unearth a slightly cheaper, slightly less proven solution such as Casado?
The clock is ticking on the window, and Endo’s future is hanging in the balance. If he does move on, Liverpool cannot afford to hesitate. A new number six isn’t a luxury signing anymore. It’s the next defining decision of their summer.
