Liverpool braced for transfer approach as Slot could lose ‘leader’ after Alexander-Arnold | Football | Sport

Liverpool’s Wataru Endo could be the next player to exit Anfield, amid speculation that Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer. The Spanish giants are hopeful of securing Alexander-Arnold, although the deal is yet to be finalised.

Alexander-Arnold, along with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, are all out of contract at the end of the season. Despite Van Dijk and Salah expressing their desire to remain at Liverpool, no contract extensions have been confirmed.

It’s unclear whether Van Dijk and Salah will follow Alexander-Arnold’s lead, but German publication Bild reports that Eintracht Frankfurt are interested in Endo. Frankfurt are reportedly keen to bolster their midfield with experienced players this summer.

After missing out on Pascal Gross last year, who joined Borussia Dortmund, they’re said to be ready to bid for Endo if they secure a Champions League spot. Currently fourth in the Bundesliga, Frankfurt could also qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League, where they face Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals.

Frankfurt reportedly see Endo as an ‘absolute leader’, and a move is ‘not out of the question’. Despite not starting a Premier League game for Liverpool this season, manager Arne Slot is a big admirer of Endo.

Slot praised the Japan international’s contributions to Liverpool last month after their 2-1 victory over Wolves, stating: “I think Wata has been really useful for us this season. It’s not always a matter of how many minutes you play, you can be very important in two minutes and you can be less important in 90 minutes.

“What makes Wata special, in my opinion, is every time we have to rely on him – if it’s five, 10, 20 or 25 minutes – he shows up. That sounds much more simple than it is because if a player has hardly had a lot of playing time then to be mentally so strong that if the team needs you, you can bring your best performance in – that is not always easy.

“Because mostly you see players that don’t play a lot find it difficult to get their rhythm or their quality in the less playing time they get. The only thing is defending is always more easy than creating. So if you play a player who hasn’t played for a long time and he has to create something, it is always more difficult than defending. He’s been important for us and he will be important for us in the upcoming weeks as well.”

Despite his limited starts, Endo remains committed to Liverpool. Speaking to club media, he said: “The only thing I can do is to show myself every time I have a chance, just keep working hard. I’m still happy to be a part of this club and I can still feel like I can do something for this club.”

A version of this article was originally published on the Mirror Sport website