The change had become apparent, now it is fixed: Wataru Endo is leaving VfB Stuttgart and will play for Liverpool in the future. A hard blow for the Swabians.
Wataru Endo poses a problem for VfB Stuttgart. Because the captain and midfield engine is leaving the Swabians and is to structure the midfield of Liverpool FC in the future. Endo was already in England on Thursday for the medical check. VfB Stuttgart confirmed the change on Friday. According to media reports, Liverpool will transfer between 20 and 25 million euros to Bad Cannstatt. A dream has come true for the 30-year-old Japanese. The change of captain and leading player is a huge problem for VfB Stuttgart.
Hoeneß confirms Endo’s impending departure
VfB trainer Sebastian Hoeneß commented on the developments surrounding Wataru Endo on Thursday. The head coach “makes no secret of the fact that it really hurts us in terms of sport,” said Hoeneß. But Hoeneß didn’t want to spoil this chance for Endo: “You have to take a more differentiated look at the personnel. From a player’s point of view: To have the opportunity to switch to Liverpool at the age of 30. He’s repeatedly said in interviews that it’s a dream of his.” That’s why, according to Hoeneß, there were “few opportunities to intervene. I didn’t have any.” In the first home game against Bochum (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., live in the audio stream on Sportschau.de), Waldemar Anton will captain the VfB team.
How Endo became “Legendo” at VfB Stuttgart in four years
Endo switched from the Belgian club VV St. Truiden to VfB in the summer of 2019. Since then he has developed into one of the undisputed top performers in Swabia and has at the latest since his last-minute winning goal to stay up in the summer of 2022 Legend status developed at VfB Stuttgart. Just last week, coach Sebastian Hoeneß announced that the 50-time international that VfB was scheduled to captain again this season.
His contract with the Swabians was dated until the summer of 2024. However, Endo had already expressed the desire in the summer of 2022 to play in the Premier League. VfB sports director Fabian Wohlgemuths with Attempts to extend the contract with Endo have failed.
VfB Stuttgart wants to generate transfer surpluses
Financially, the endo transfer is definitely lucrative for VfB Stuttgart: “Of course we will have to generate transfer surpluses,” said VfB CEO Alexander Wehrle briefly after the relegation games against Hamburger SV said. The kicker reported a target of 45 million euros.
In Liverpool Endo meets coach Jürgen Klopp, whose Reds have recently had problems signing the desired players for midfield. After the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia as well as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Besiktas) and Naby Keita (Werder Bremen), Liverpool has an acute need for action in central midfield. And after dream player Moisés Caicedo switched to Chelsea for a reported 133 million euros, Liverpool was looking for alternatives.
Is VfB Stuttgart threatened with a sell-out?
There are also rumors in Stuttgart that central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos is negotiating with West Ham United. According to SWR information, talks are already underway. In addition, left-back Borna Sosa has been on the shopping lists of various clubs for months. Most recently, there was talk of a move to Seville or Saudi Arabia. Should these top performers all leave VfB Stuttgart, it would be a major setback for them VfB Stuttgart’s ambitions to stay out of the relegation battle in the new season. “As of now, our squad is in good shape,” said Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß in an interview with SWR Sport on Sunday. “Of course we have to react if players leave us.”
