Liverpool's 3-3 draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League was thrilling and a fine illustration of the attacking prowess of Jurgen Klopp's side. But it also demonstrated the glaring defensive deficiencies that incoming head coach Arne Slot will need to solve heading into the new season.
Leading industry figures such as unerring transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano have confirmed that Liverpool's priority will be to sign a new centre-back this summer, having bolstered the backline only with the addition of Ibrahima Konate since welcoming Virgil van Dijk to the fold for a record £75m figure in December 2017.
Of course, the rise of Jarell Quansah has eased last year's desperate need for reinforcements, making last summer's sweeping changes to the midfield an unmitigated success, but injured veteran Joel Matip is out of contract this summer and Joe Gomez – Liverpool's longest-serving first team player – has been linked with a move away.
While strengthening the defence will take precedence, FSG's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, may well decide to improve the midfield despite last year's movements.
Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation and is one of the most complete midfielders in the game, described as a "superstar" who "can play anywhere" by pundit Joe Cole. However, he is the second-most dribbled past player in the Premier League this season and his talents are best placed further forward.
1.
Mathias Jensen
Brentford
69
2.88
2.
Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool
66
2.34
3.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool
58
2.5
4.
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
57
1.73
5.
Antonee Robinson
Fulham
56
1.58
Wataru Endo is the true defensive midfielder in the Liverpool team, and while he has been a shrewd signing, it's clear that an upgrade is needed to propel the Anfield side back to the forefront of Premier League and Champions League football.
Why Liverpool signed Wataru Endo
Last summer, Liverpool were dealt a bruising blow in the build-up to their Premier League campaign, with their protracted pursuit of Romeo Lavia coming up fruitless after shelving their interest and instead moving for Moises Caicedo.
Despite having an £111m bid accepted by Brighton & Hove Albion for Caicedo in August, the Ecuadorian opted for Stamford Bridge, leaving Liverpool red-faced as Lavia too joined the free-spending Blues in a £60m package.
Where did Liverpool go from there? Fabinho had already been sold to Al-Ittihad for a £40m fee after being criticised for his "awful" performances throughout the previous term by pundit Jamie Carragher. The pickings were slim on the market. This called for something outside the box.
And so Liverpool surprised a few when days after the ignominy of losing out to Chelsea they secured the signing of Endo from German side Stuttgart in a £16m deal.
He's not been perfect, but the 31-year-old has done a commendable job as Fabinho's successor for a resurgent Anfield side. However, he's still not the long-term solution.
Why Liverpool must ditch Endo from the starting XI
Endo won Liverpool's Player of the Month award for December. It was a wonderful moment for fans after their surprise addition grew in confidence following a slow start, starting all but one of Liverpool's six Premier League fixtures during that winter month.
Recently, supporters have started to vent frustrations regarding the Japanese's lack of mobility and athletic quality. He is, in essence, an industrious and devoted player but lacking in some of the intrinsic ingredients needed for success of the standard Liverpool demand.
He's done a job this season, signed for a slice of the outlay that would have been enacted had either Caicedo and Lavia wound up on Merseyside, but there's no question that Endo is not the long-term solution, with correspondent James Pearce noting some of his "poor" recent performances.
Endo ranks among the top 19% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 13% for passes attempted per 90, as per FBref. He's crisp and composed in possession. Nice.
But, the 5 foot 10 Red ranks outside the top 30% for all of FBref's compiled defensive metrics – barring aerial duel success (top 13%), which emphasises a lack of energy and command that halts opposition advances in their tracks.
Liverpool could invest millions into their rearguard – in fact, they will this summer – but without landing a first-class talent at No. 6, the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City will continue to run roughshod over their hapless rivals further down the division, dominating and dismantling.
1.
Thiago Alcantara
32
£200k-per-week
£4m
2.
Alexis Mac Allister
25
£150k-per-week
£86m
3.
Ryan Gravenberch
21
£150k-per-week
£52m
4.
Dominik Szoboszlai
23
£120k-per-week
£86m
5.
Wataru Endo
31
£50k-per-week
£69m
6.
Harvey Elliott
21
£40k-per-week
£13m
7.
Stefan Bajcetic
19
£40k-per-week
£4.3m
8.
Curtis Jones
23
£15k-per-week
£m
Comparing Endo's wage and market value with some of his peers, it can be concluded that he's deservedly some distance behind Liverpool's top central midfielders, however, the likes of Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, young they may be, must be itching for boosted terms to better reflect their place in Klopp's squad – the pair currently falling behind the Japanese star on the wage bill.
While the German manager may be leaving this summer, such Redmen will continue to rise, and if Edwards and Slot do agree that a holding midfielder must be signed, Endo will fall into the realm of utility player, whereas both Elliott and Jones have scope to grow into even more influential roles at Anfield.
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Jones has been promising this season, starting 24 times across all competitions despite battling injury issues, but Elliott has the trappings of an elite-level Premier League star, with Klopp pensively claiming that not unleashing the dynamic midfielder with greater regularity might be his "one regret" as he looks to close his Liverpool career.
The 31-year-old Endo has some impressive attributes and to have made the move to Liverpool at this stage of his career bears testament to his underrated ability.
But Liverpool need to go that extra mile to stand a chance of beating Arsenal and Manchester City to the title next year, and an upgrade is needed.
