The Reds had focused on young, promising midfielders who had already played in the Premier League.
Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were the top targets but they remarkably both chose to sign Chelsea.
Liverpool pivoted to a completely different profile by snapping up Endo in a deal worth around £16.2million.
Endo is already 30 and wasn’t exactly a superstar in the Bundesliga, rather a dependable workhorse in the Stuttgart midfield.
Liverpool have seen enough to believe that he can make an impact in the Premier League, finally giving Jurgen Klopp another anchor man option.
Wataru Endo spoke to Takehiro Tomiyasu before Liverpool move
Endo becomes the latest Japanese player to make the move to the Premier League.
The likes of Kazuyuki Today and Junichi Inamoto flew the flag for Japan in the early 2000’s.
There are now three current Japanese international regulars in the Premier League; Endo, Kaoru Mitoma and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Endo has now admitted to The Athletic that he spoke to Arsenal defender Tomiyasu before his move to Anfield.
Endo and Tomiyasu go back quite a way; not only have they played for Japan together but they were even with Belgian side Sint-Truiden together.
The new Liverpool midfielder asked Tomiyasu for some information about life in the Premier League, hoping to learn from the Arsenal defender before starting his career in England.
Endo also spoke to Japan teammate and former Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino, asking questions about the Reds squad.
“Yesterday I talked with Taki about how the team is,” said Endo. “And also Tomiyasu about how the Premier League is, things like that,” he added.
