Good news as Andoni Iraola ready to give forgotten midfielder a chance

Liverpool have been relying on the same cast of midfield characters for a couple of seasons now.

Their midfield options helped Arne Slot win the Premier League title in his first season in charge - with Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai all impressing.

The contributions of Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones should not be understated either. But the midfield in truth struggled in Slot’s sophomore season - which ended up with the Dutchman losing his job.

Big changes have been mooted for the midfield sector - with Mac Allister and Jones heavily linked with moves away from Anfield.

Incoming deals could include Lamine Camara or Alex Scott - but a report in the Liverpool Echo claims one current midfield option will be given his chance to impress Andoni Iraola in preseason.

Andoni Iraola will consider Wataru Endo in preseason

With Mac Allister and Gravenberch away at the FIFA World Cup the new Liverpool head coach will have depleted numbers when he kicks off preseason with his players next month.

Guaranteed to be among them is Endo, 33, who missed out on a place in Japan’s squad in heartbreaking fashion.

Although the Samurai Blue captain recovered sufficiently to play in their pre-World Cup warmup fixture against Iceland it was clear to head coach Hajime Moriyasu that the former Stuttgart dynamo would not be fit for duties.

He therefore excluded Endo - who had been missing from the Liverpool lineup from February to the end of the season owing to a horror ankle injury.

Last chance saloon for Endo?

The £16m signing will be back in action next month however with those early days under Iraola described in the report as his “last chance saloon”.

“The prospect of a new head coach in Andoni Iraola opens the door to Endo for more game-time and while it has always been generally accepted that the tenacious, defensive-minded midfielder is a useful squad option at Anfield, the lack of key men this pre-season allows the Japan star the chance to impress,” the report reads.

“At the age of 33, fresh off the sort of long-term injury that may have led to some contemplative thinking at times during his recovery period, does Endo feel he can make another fist at becoming a first-team regular under Iraola?

“Heading into the final year of his deal, this summer sees Endo in the Last Chance Saloon for his Liverpool career.”

Endo out of contract in 2027

Endo came into the club in summer 2023 as a stopgap option but settled well - winning the EFL Cup as well as the Premier League title.

Under contract until 2027 there has been a certain amount of interest in his signature - with Endo coming close to joining Marseille a couple of summers ago.

But it looks like he may have a part to play under Iraola as a useful squad player unless Richard Hughes takes the opportunity to make a bit of money on Endo in the upcoming transfer window.

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