Klopp labels Liverpool newbie Endo a ‘late bloomer’ and hints ‘there’s still time’ for more signings
Jurgen Klopp has praised Liverpool newbie Wataru Endo after the Japan international completed his £16m move to Anfield from VfB Stuttgart.
It was announced on Friday afternoon that Endo has finalised his move to Liverpool from the Bundesliga outfit.
The 30-year-old has been pursued by the Premier League giants after they missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who have both signed for rivals Chelsea.
Liverpool remain in the market for new signings and it’s being reported that Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure is their new ‘top target’.
Klopp was full of praise for Endo when he was speaking about Liverpool’s new signing during his press conference on Friday afternoon.
“I’m really happy we can announce the agreement,” Klopp told reporters.
“I am from Germany, I watch a lot of Bundesliga, I’ve known him since he was at Stuttgart and liked him from the start. Last week was a tricky one. You can either stick with the problem or find a solution.
“He is a really good footballer, 5ft 10 but jumps through the ceiling, really good in the air and generally defence. Tactically really smart. Good footballer, big heart, desire.
“He is a late bloomer. He has improved every year since he was on the proper football screen. When he came to Europe, it was not that easy.
“Now he has 50 games for Japan and I don’t know how many for Stuttgart. On the pitch, he turns into a real monster. He was on my screen for a long time already. I am personally really happy about it. Now, let’s start working.”
When asked if Liverpool will do more business this summer, Klopp answered: “Outgoing side from me, nothing will happen but I’ve learned a lot of things in this window. Incoming, there is still time so we’ll see what we can do.”
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Klopp has also suggested that it is “problem” for football that the Saudi Pro League has “endless money” to spend on signings.
“As a normal club, it’s really difficult to catch up with them. That’s not my problem, just how it is. Saudi Arabia, on top of that, hasn’t made things easier. China tried it, USA still trying it. The endless money causes a problem, that’s how it is. It would be cool if someone could find a solution,” Klopp added.
“It became more difficult, but not to convince players to come to Liverpool. You just have to make sure you go for the right ones. I sit here and I’m really happy with our transfer window in this moment.
“We will keep looking, we will try to make the best decisions for this club and we will not use money or anything else as an excuse. We will just go for it. We do it our way and we are ready to fight.”
