Arne Slot set to 'sanction Liverpool sale' in ruthless decision as Premier League clubs put on red alert

Arne Slot is thought to be keen to move on one of Jurgen Klopp’s last signings with Premier League clubs interested.

Life at Anfield has started almost perfectly for the Slot after he replaced Klopp this summer.

The Dutchman has seen his side win in all but one of the matches he has taken charge of - a defeat to Nottingham Forest on September 14.

The Reds currently sit top of the Premier League and have secured convincing victories in the Champions League and Carabao Cup in recent weeks, with a routine 2-0 win over Bologna on Wednesday evening continuing the buoyant mood.

Ahead of the campaign, Liverpool fans clamoured for the signing of Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi after he impressed in Spain’s Euro 2024 win. However, the 25-year-old chose to remain at the La Liga side.

To the surprise of many, Ryan Gravenberch has stepped up in the No 6 role and impressed with a string of confident performances.

However, as a result, Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo has featured just twice and could be on his way out after falling out of favour at Anfield.

The 31-year-old was signed by Liverpool in August 2023 for a reported fee of £16m after leaving Stuttgart - where he was a fan favourite during his time in the Bundesliga.

Now, according to reports, Liverpool are thought to be ‘open to offers’ for the midfielder. Clubs from across Europe are rumoured to be interested in the player. Endo’s contract is set to run until 2027, meaning Liverpool could recoup a sizeable fee for the Japan international.

It was reported during the summer transfer window that French outfit Marseille were interested in the player, but no deal materialised.

Wataru Endo has found minutes hard to come by this season

In September, Endo discussed how he is not worried about his lack of minutes while away on duty with Japan.

"When the international break is finished there is a run of games so I'll get more chances," he said.

"You can't just use 11 players when you have a lot of games. I'm sure I'll get my turn.

"My physical condition won't be a problem. I've been training well and I'm not worried about it.

"At my age I have experience so getting a feel for games isn't a problem. The important thing is to train and prepare well."

After Endo's only Premier League appearance so far this season against Brentford, Slot maintained that the player was still in his plans.

"It is not always about the player himself, it's also about the competition he faces," the Liverpool boss explained.

"We have many good midfielders like we have many good players.

"We are really pleased with the way Wata [Endo] is training for us but he has some good competition and I think you saw today a good performance from all three midfielders, so it is not always about him – it is also about the others.

"He will be important for us during the season because we need all of them; we all know how long a season can be over here and how many players you need – and he is one of them that we are going to need in the upcoming season."