Liverpool's Midfield Dilemma: Endo's Exit and New Signings
Liverpool’s midfield puzzle is coming to a head. The window is ticking down, the non-homegrown slots are full, and one uncomfortable truth hangs over Anfield: someone has to go before anyone else can come in.
Three signings are already through the door, yet the churn is far from over. Links to Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye underline that Liverpool are still prowling the market, but the rules are clear. With no free non-homegrown places in the first-team squad, the club can’t simply stockpile talent.
They could pivot to homegrown options, but the landscape there is brutal. Elliott Anderson and Morgan Rogers have both just moved for fees north of £115 million, a stark reminder of how inflated the English market has become. Paying that kind of premium would blow a hole in any carefully laid recruitment plan.
So the conversation turns to sacrifice.
Endo pushed towards the exit
Inside Anfield, the spotlight has fallen on Wataru Endo and Calvin Ramsay as the most realistic departures if Liverpool want to refresh the squad. According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, the club are now prepared to listen to offers for Endo, a clear signal that the Japan international’s position is under serious threat.
Ramsay’s situation feels different. There has been noise around his future as well, but with Andoni Iraola’s defence already looking fragile, the Scotsman might yet be kept as cover. If that happens, the pressure on Endo’s place only grows.
Endo’s profile makes the decision more ruthless than romantic. He is 34, just back from a major injury and entering the final year of his contract. From a purely strategic point of view, this is the last realistic chance to bank a fee for a veteran whose long-term role was always uncertain.
There is a risk attached. Letting him go strips away experience in an area of the pitch Liverpool have already struggled to stabilise. His performances last season left plenty of questions, but removing him without a clear upgrade would be a gamble in a campaign where margins will be thin.
Still, the direction of travel is obvious. If Richard Hughes and Iraola are ready to move Endo on, Liverpool’s next signing almost has to be a specialist number six.
A new anchor becomes non-negotiable
For months, defensive midfield has been the most talked-about gap in this Liverpool side. Almost everyone who watched them last season could see it. The team never quite found a reliable shield in front of the back four, and the experiment with Ryan Gravenberch in that role only underlined the problem.
Gravenberch’s inconsistency didn’t stop Liverpool from handing him a lucrative new deal, effectively locking him into the squad for the foreseeable future. That decision makes it even more important that the club find a proper holding midfielder to balance him, not replace him.
The shortlist is taking shape. Marc Casado and Adam Wharton stand out as the two clearest candidates right now. Barcelona have already informed Casado he can leave, a green light for any club willing to back his potential. He offers energy, discipline and room to grow.
Wharton is a different proposition. Crystal Palace do not want to sell, and the price reflects that resistance. A fee around €100 million has been mentioned, the kind of number that forces a club to be absolutely sure. Yet of the two, Wharton looks the more complete fit for what Liverpool need: a long-term anchor who can dictate tempo and protect the defence at elite level.
The window still has weeks to run. Plans can shift, targets can change, and deals can collapse in a moment. But one thing feels fixed: if Endo is heading for the exit, Liverpool cannot afford to drift. A new number six is no longer a luxury. It’s the signing that will define how seriously they can talk about challenging at the top this season.
