Why Arne Slot rejected Wataru Endo private chat amid Liverpool midfielder 'unhappy' claim

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Celtic, Wolverhampton Wanders, Fulham and AC Milan have all been linked with Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo in the January transfer window.

Arne Slot hailed Wataru Endo’s attitude after coming to Liverpool’s defensive aid.

Endo has been a peripheral figure during the Reds’ Premier League title challenge. He’s not made a start in the top flight and come off the bench only eight times in total. That’s despite become a mainstay in Liverpool’s team under Jurgen Klopp last season following his arrival from Stuttgart, with Ryan Gravenberch preferred in the number-six position.

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But in Slot’s side’s past two games, Endo has stepped up to operate in defence. He featured at centre-back in the 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, coming off the bench to replace Jarell Quansah in the 30th minute. Then in last Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley, Endo again lined-up in the rearguard.

The Japan international was linked with a switch to Marseille last summer while a recent report has claimed Endo is ‘unhappy’ at Liverpool with Italian giants AC Milan, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Scottish champions Celtic among the clubs who are reportedly keen in the January transfer window.

But Slot eulogised the mindset of Endo - a hint that Liverpool have no plans to allow the 31-year-old to leave this month. Speaking before tomorrow’s huge trip to third-placed Nottingham Forest, the Reds head coach when asked about Endo’s attitude by LiverpoolWorld: “I asked Harvey [Elliott] to come into the room before we played that game because I know Harvey wants to get his chance in the No.10 position. But because of the injuries - not injuries but players we didn't have available - I had to play him on the right. He did that really well.

“For Wata, it is the same but I didn’t even have to invite him in. Harvey is also a very good person but I know what a kind of person Wata is. He is [always like] wherever you play me I will do my best - whenever you play me. If it's five minutes before the end, he comes in and gives everything he has. That might be normal for fans to hear but for as long as I have been in football, I have seen players doing different things and showing different attitudes to what Watu shows.

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“He is an important part of our team. Every time we need him, in the midfield or as a centre-back because I didn't want to bring Ibou in two days after he played against United and then after 30 minutes, we had to make a substitution. He did really well, Wata, because the moment I took him off, we conceded!”

In total, Endo has made 15 appearances for Liverpool this season. He is likely to be on the bench against Forest after Gravenberch and Curtis Jones were not included in the squad against Accrington and was handed a rest. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister was an unused substitute and Dominik Szoboszlai played the opening 45 minutes before being replaced by Federico Chiesa.

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