If Liverpool pay £55M, they can complete key signing in January

Liverpool are still in the market for a new defensive midfielder despite Jurgen Klopp showering Wataru Endo with praise for his recent form.

According to Football Insider, Fulham want between £50 million and £60 million to allow the 28-year-old to leave the club when the winter transfer window opens in January.

Palhinha almost joined Bayern Munich in the summer for a fee of £55 million and Fulham will not let him leave for less than that.

Selling Fabinho in the summer was met with mixed reactions from supporters. He was in decline but heading into the 2023/24 season without a natural no.6 was a concern for fans.

Klopp has once again worked miracles this season. Despite the turnover in the transfer market, the Reds are top of the Premier League table, are into the knockout stages of the Europa League after topping the group and are set for a Carabao Cup semi-final.

Fans would have been over the moon had they known at the start of the season that the first half of the campaign would have yielded such promising results.

Do Liverpool need a defensive midfielder or is Wataru Endo sufficient?

Despite a rocky start to life as a Red, Endo has found his feet and is now a crucial part of the Liverpool starting XI.

The stats paint the picture quite nicely. When Endo hasn't started, Liverpool have conceded 12 goals in 12 games. In his seven starts, Liverpool have conceded just three goals.

While Endo is a top player, his imminent departure for the Asian Cup represents the need for another defensive midfielder.

An injury to the former Stuttgart star would be catastrophic to Liverpool's hopes of winning silverware this season.

Signing Palhinha would ensure that Klopp will always have a player capable of shielding his defence.