Liverpool's Midfield Dilemma: Finding a New No 6

Liverpool’s midfield puzzle is suddenly very simple. If Wataru Endo is heading for the exit, Richard Hughes has to find a new No 6 – and fast.

Squad at breaking point

The summer window is ticking down and Liverpool have already moved early, adding three new faces. Links to Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye hint that the recruitment drive is far from over, that this squad is still in transition.

There is a problem, though. The non-homegrown quota is full. No room at the inn unless someone leaves.

Liverpool could turn to the homegrown market, but the landscape there is brutal. Elliott Anderson and Morgan Rogers have just gone for fees north of £115 million each, a stark reminder of how inflated prices for English players have become. Paying that kind of premium for depth is a luxury, not a strategy.

So the equation is clear: before Hughes can seriously move for another overseas signing, he has to clear space. That means tough decisions. It also means Endo’s future is suddenly under the spotlight.

Endo on the block

Journalist Pete O’Rourke reports that Liverpool are now willing to listen to offers for Wataru Endo. For a squad already light on depth, that is a bold stance.

Calvin Ramsay’s name has also floated around in the background, but with Andoni Iraola’s defence already looking fragile, the young Scot might yet be kept as cover. If Ramsay stays, the obvious candidate to make way is Endo.

The Japan international is 34, just back from a major injury and entering the final year of his contract. From a purely strategic point of view, this is the last realistic chance to cash in. On paper, the logic is ruthless but sound.

On the pitch, it is a gamble.

Endo struggled last season. If those levels repeat, Liverpool will feel vindicated. If he leaves and the club fail to land the right replacement, the decision could haunt them deep into the campaign.

What it does do is shine a floodlight on the next move. If Hughes and Iraola are prepared to sanction Endo’s departure, Liverpool’s next signing almost has to be a defensive midfielder.

A new No 6 or bust

Everyone who watched Liverpool last season could see it: they needed a proper holding midfielder. Ryan Gravenberch never convinced as a consistent option at the base of midfield. Despite that, he has been handed a lucrative new deal, tying the club to a player they still don’t fully trust in that role.

That contract shouldn’t stop Liverpool from correcting the balance of the squad. It can’t.

Over recent months, a string of No 6s have been linked with Anfield. Two names stand out right now: Marc Casado and Adam Wharton.

Barcelona have told Casado he can leave, a clear invitation to bidders. He represents a technical, potentially cost-effective solution, the kind of profile Liverpool’s recruitment team usually study closely.

Wharton is different. Crystal Palace do not want to sell. Any deal would be expensive, with talk of a fee around €100 million. Yet of the two, he feels the more natural fit for what Liverpool need – a ready-made Premier League midfielder who can anchor a title-chasing side from day one.

There are still a few weeks left in the window. Targets can change. Opportunities can appear out of nowhere.

But the situation is no longer vague. If Endo is on his way out and the non-homegrown slots are locked, Liverpool’s path is clear: move a veteran on, then land the defensive midfielder who will define the next phase of this team.

The only real question now is not whether they sign a new No 6 – it’s which one they’re willing to bet their season on.