Although the arrival of Wataru Endō came as something of a surprise, Liverpool was not really left with much choice. Jürgen Klopp needed a number six as a matter of immediacy — in the end, the Stuttgart veteran offered a good blend of availability and sufficient quality.
Klopp’s need on the pitch was certainly pressing, but the market pressures were just as real. After two high-profile rejections, Liverpool could hardly go into the final week of the transfer window with the whole world knowing that it did not have a single senior defensive midfielder on the books.
Without meaning to diminish his very real qualities, Endō acts as something of a backstop. If there is to be no more business in the number six department before the deadline, Liverpool can still cope, so would-be sellers cannot simply name any price they like when Klopp comes knocking.
In an ideal world, however, there would still be some more business. Given the stance of Crystal Palace, Liverpool may have to walk away from Cheick Doucouré — a case in point as to why getting Endō through the door was essential. But even though a marquee arrival looks improbable in the next few days, a younger player to challenge the Japan captain would be ideal.
At this point, some may be screaming the name Stefan Bajčetić at the screen. Sure enough, the young Spaniard is a legitimate option for Liverpool, and he could stand to be the biggest beneficiary of failed moves for Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia. But the 18-year-old has already suffered one major injury after being thrown cold into senior football, and there is clearly space on the roster for someone who falls somewhere between ‘teenager’ and ‘veteran’.
That’s why it’s interesting to note a report from Football Transfers in the Netherlands, which claims Liverpool is in ‘close contact’ with Mats Wieffer of Feyenoord. Turning 24 later this year, he sits in a good age bracket for Klopp, and just experienced a season at the heart of a side that won the Eredivisie.
It must be noted that the story is somewhat circular in nature, citing unspecified ‘reports in England’ as the basis of the rumor — with English publications in turn linking back to the Dutch article. But wherever the link has come from, there’s good reason for Liverpool to be ‘in talks’.
Wieffer stands out massively in the data as exactly the kind of player Klopp needs. With experience as a number six and a number eight, he is a true all-rounder: his expected goals and assists places him in the 74th percentile of midfielders in Europe’s ‘next eight’ leagues, his progressive passing ranks in the 93rd percentile, while his tackles, blocks, clearances and aerial duels won are all in the 80th percentile or higher (FBref).
At this point, it’s worth acknowledging the ‘Eredivisie tax’. The best sides in the Dutch top flight tend to enjoy a significant degree of dominance, and their players often look like monsters from the statistics as a result. But a look at how Wieffer fared in the Europa League last season shows that he could almost prove to be Klopp’s version of Casemiro.
Naturally, focusing on the Europa League cuts down the sample size. But over the course of almost five full games, Wieffer fared well. His progressive passing output stayed very high, up in the 90th percentile. His tackling suffered a drop-off, but interceptions soared to the 92nd percentile, with clearances and aerials won also placing him in the top 10 per cent of players in the competition. Casemiro ranked as his third-most-similar player.
This should be sufficient evidence for Liverpool to make a move. Endō was signed to play, and immediately ousting him would be a strange decision. But a challenger like Wieffer, who could also compete for minutes further forward, would only raise the level of Klopp’s whole midfield.
When Klopp sat in his press conference confirming a mammoth transfer bid for Caicedo, nobody would have expected to wind up with Endō and Wieffer. But for better or worse, digging up a more obscure player with parallels to Casemiro is closer to what has always been the Liverpool way under FSG — and it could even prove to be smarter business.
