Wataru Endo joins Liverpool for £16.2m: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Liverpool have snapped up Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £16.2m.
As per reports, the fee could rise to £21m with bonuses.
The Reds have been on a hunt for a defensive midfielder for a long time and hopefully, it ends with Endo joining the team.
It is a dream move for the 30-year-old as he takes a big leap in his career.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Liverpool needed a defensive midfielder after they allowed both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to move to Saudi Arabia.
They tried roping in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia but unfortunately, both the midfielders joined Chelsea snubbing Liverpool.
Therefore, Endo looks like an alternative signing for the Reds. The 30-year-old brings in experience and has excellent passing and tackling metrics in the Bundesliga.
Career stats
A look at Endo's career stats
Endo's career started at Shonan Bellmare's youth academy. He gradually rose up the ranks.
He featured in 167 matches for Bellmare, scoring 23 goals.
Endo moved to Urawa Red Diamonds in 2015 where he netted six goals in 109 appearances.
He joined the Belgian outfit Sint-Truidense VV in 2018 and played 31 matches.
Finally, he featured in 133 matches for Stuttgart, scoring 15 goals.
2022-23
Breaking down Endo's numbers in the 2022-23 Bundesliga season
The 30-year-old featured in 33 Bundesliga matches last season returning with five goals and four assists. He created 40 chances.
As per Opta, he completed 1,164 out of the attempted 1,461 passes clocking 79.47% passing accuracy.
Out of his 37 shots (excluding blocks), 16 were on target.
Endo won 155 ground duels and 75 aerial duels. He completed 31 take-ons and made 70 tackles.
Bundesliga
Some more stats from the 2022-23 Bundesliga
As per Sky Sports, Endo was third among midfielders in the 2022-23 Bundesliga in ball recoveries (231).
Among midfielders, he completed the most headed clearances (43).
Endo ranked ninth in final-third passes completed (302) among midfielders in the Bundesliga last season.
He ranked ninth among midfielders in total tackles (70) and eighth in passes completed (1,164).
Trophies
A look at Endo's trophy cabinet
The defensive midfielder won his first trophy with Shonan Bellmare in 2014 when he bagged the J League Division 2.
He won the J League Cup with Urawa Red Diamonds in 2016 followed by Suruga Bank Championship and AFC Champions League in 2017.
Internationally, he won the AFC Under-23 Championships with Japan in 2016 and was the runner-up at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Information
50 appearances for Japan!
Endo has received 50 international caps for Japan ever since his maiden international call-up by then-coach Vahid Halilhodvzic in 2015 for the EAFF East Asian Cup. He featured in all four matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.