Jurgen Klopp to address next Liverpool concern as Wataru Endo completes transfer
Jurgen Klopp is looking to sign Rennes star Arthur Theate after sealing a deal for Japan star Wataru Endo.
The Reds were in dire need of a midfielder after the exits of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson for Saudi Arabia. Liverpool were originally linked with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia throughout the summer only to see the pair reject moves to Anfield in favour of switches to Premier League rivals Chelsea.
That has seen Klopp move for one of his back-up options. Liverpool have already completed a £20m move for Stuttgart star Endo, who has put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Anfield.
The 30-year-old has become the Reds’ third signing of the summer after the big-money arrivals of both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier in the window. Speaking after Endo's arrival was confirmed, Reds boss 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."
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The Reds' business does not look likely to be finished there. As first reported by L’Equipe, Liverpool are interested in Rennes centre-back Theate. It is said that the Belgian is on the Reds’ list of potential late recruits.
Liverpool are interested in a deal for Arthur Theate (Getty Images)Who else do you think Liverpool should sign this summer? Share your suggestions in the comments below
Theate, 23, has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past few seasons. After a variety of spells in the youth academies of a number of Belgian sides, he got his break with Oostende.
He caught the eye during his debut campaign with 37 appearances, whilst he also scored five goals. That form saw Theate seal a loan move to Italian side Bologna and his displays in Serie A convinced Rennes to pay €20million (£17million) for his signature as they attempted to replace West Ham-bound Nayef Aguerd.
His excellent form continued in France with 41 appearances in all competitions, whilst he was also on the scoresheet on five occasions. Theate also has eight appearances for the Belgian national team to his name.
The links come after claims Klopp was keen to bolster his defence before the end of the transfer window. It was previously reported that another left-sided centre-back was on the German’s wishlist.
He apparently had concerns over Andy Robertson’s suitability for his new combined role that was seen regularly during pre-season. Levi Colwill was originally a target for the Merseysiders but Chelsea once again left Liverpool frustrated by tying him down to a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
Should they manage to sign Theate, he will compete with the Reds’ current defensive options. New captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate appear to be Klopp’s first-choice options.
They also have Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Nathaniel Philips in reserve, albeit the latter is expected to leave Anfield before the end of the window.
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