Report: Liverpool now want £19m ace with ‘incredible energy’ after signing Endo
Premier League giants Liverpool could sign Rennes’ £16million centre-back Arthur Theate after Jurgen Klopp missed fellow Belgian Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.
Wataru Endo might not have been the defensive midfielder Liverpool fans dreamed of – a decade older than Lavia and nowhere near as well known as Moises Caicedo – but confirmation of his arrival from Stuttgart on Friday midday certainly fills a void in Jurgen Klopp’s squad .
Endo, predicts Anfield icon Dietmar Hamann, will ‘surprise’ people in English football.
And with the former Stuttgart captain coming through the door, Liverpool now have the luxury of turning their attention to other positions with two weeks left.
Liverpool reach out to Rennes defender Arthur Theate
The Merseyside giants, according to the French publication L’Equipealso hope to sign a left-footed centre-back before September 1St. And Arthur Theate fits the bill; The £16m stopper shone after joining Rennes from KV Oostende a year ago.
Theate only turned 23 in May. The 1.80m-tall stopper, who has won eight caps for his country, would make a quality replacement for the aging Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool have expressed an interest in Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. Also Micky van de Ven, ahead of his £34m move to Tottenham Hotspur. They would now face competition from Fulham for Theate. And while Anfield would obviously be the more well-known destination, the former Genk youngster may have reservations about spending a season on the Liverpool bench with next summer’s European Championship less than 12 months away.
“He’s a player with a lot of character,” said former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said by Theate in 2021. “He likes duels.”
Martinez also praised Theate’s “aggression” and “intensity.” Two traits that often come with the poodle-haired powerhouse.
“He is a player who is very committed” adds Rennes director Florian Maurice, who is also struggling with Jeremy Doku due to interest from Manchester City.
“(Theate) likes to defend and he likes challenges. He has a natural aggressiveness and incredible energy.”
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