VfB Stuttgart sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth has admitted they really didn’t want to sell midfielder Wataru Endo to Liverpool this summer.
Wohlgemuth has been speaking to BILD regarding the club’s summer transfer business, which has seen several key players depart for pastures new.
One of those to move on was Endo, who was a surprise signing for Liverpool as they rebuilt their midfield following the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
The transfer was one done very much on the fly, with Endo not one of the names to have been linked with the Reds throughout the summer.
Indeed, he was very much a surprise signing, with many considering him something of a stop gap option to solve a growing problem for Liverpool.
He’s certainly not seen that way at Stuttgart, though, where he has been a key player since a move from Sint Truiden in in 2019, initially on loan.
Indeed, he is well loved by the German club and their fanbase, who warmly welcomed him back at the club this week and had banners in place thanking him during their opening Bundesliga game.
They were very much sorry to see him go, and Wohlgemuth has confirmed as much, admitting it’s a deal they would have preferred not to happen.
“Wataru is a player that we actually didn’t want to let go,” he said.
“To be honest, we didn’t have Liverpool FC on our list as an interested party. We were informed by the players’ advisors about Liverpool FC’s interest a few hours before the offer was received.
“Wataru himself really wanted to take this step regardless of our offer to extend the contract.
“Because the facts were on the table, we had no choice but to agree with Jörg Schmadtke (Liverpool sporting director) with our revised financial demands. In the end, we came to an agreement relatively quickly in the negotiations.”
