Liverpool arrived at Selhurst Park fully aware that they needed to beat Crystal Palace in the Premier League and head into the November international break with a bit of momentum.
They did so, securing a much-needed win after back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Fenerbahce in the top flight and Champions League respectively.
Liverpool have an issue in the build-up. They lack the superstar ball-playing quality from central midfield to connect the dots and give rise to the kind of fluent attacking football that such a star-studded line-up should produce.
However, they do have someone who fits that mould in Trey Nyoni, but the teenager is still a work in progress.
Why Trey Nyoni is Liverpool’s best prospect
Until recently, Rio Ngumoha was head and shoulders above the rest of Liverpool’s crop of emerging prospects, but Nyoni is quickly rivalling him in that, standing out every time he plays for Andoni Iraola‘s outfit.
Nyoni is only 19 and has just 33 senior appearances with the Reds to his name. Yet his superstar potential is already clear, and he has exuded more maturity and class than senior teammates such as Ryan Gravenberch this season.
Benched as Liverpool defeated Crystal Palace ahead of the imminent international break, Nyoni had previously impressed during starts against Arsenal and Fenerbahce, expertly reading the game, anticipating danger, picking out the right passes to spark progression from Liverpool’s midfield.
It’s clear now that Nyoni needs to be given more and more chances to impress for the Anfield side, and with Alexis Mac Allister also resurgent after a disastrous 2025/26 campaign, it looks like another Liverpool midfielder is officially finished at the club.
Liverpool veteran is officially finished
Liverpool will start 2027 with the knowledge that they need to sign a few midfielders, lest Iraola’s hard-working, high-intensity demands fall by the wayside.
It’s ironic that Wataru Endo embodies many of the attributes the head coach is searching for, but nonetheless, the 33-year-old is past his best at Liverpool, and the end is in sight.
Endo’s impact has been nominal over the past several years, but having joined Liverpool from Stuttgart for just £16m in 2023, there’s no question that the shrewd Jurgen Klopp signing has cemented cult status on Merseyside, instrumental in winning the Carabao Cup against Chelsea in 2024.
For that display alone, against Chelsea’s “billion-pound bottlejobs“, as Gary Neville notoriously named them, Endo cemented himself as an iconic signing for Liverpool, securing silverware and securing Champions League football as Chelsea, by contrast, finished sixth.
|
Wataru Endo vs Chelsea (Carabao Cup Final 23/24) |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
120′ |
|
Goals + Assists |
0 + 0 |
|
Touches |
90 |
|
Accurate passes |
63/68 (93%) |
|
Chances created |
1 |
|
Possession lost |
9x |
|
Succ. dribbles |
1/1 |
|
Ball recoveries |
12 |
|
Def. contributions |
10 |
|
Duels won |
12/20 |
|
Fouls |
2x |
Described by Liverpool correspondent David Lynch as being an “unsung hero” for Liverpool, Endo has played his part since stepping up after the Reds failed to sign both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, the duo joining Chelsea in 2023.
Clearly, renewing a 33-year-old Endo’s contract would be a bad move for Liverpool. His impact after that impressive first year in the Premier League has been negligible, and the space he holds in the squad should be freed to create room for an exciting replacement.
Adam Wharton is limited, but his passing range is remarkable, and he would provide a dimension currently lacking in Iraola’s system. There are other, more rounded options out there, players who would represent a significant upgrade on Endo, who has always been limited on the ball.
Liverpool are neither crisp on the ball or creative enough with their passing. With 17 big chances created in the top flight, Liverpool rank 17th there, which is simply inexcusable for an outfit supposed to wield supreme attacking quality, a mega-money ensemble of superstars.
The future demands something of a balancing act from FSG’s senior decision-makers. An Endo upgrade is required, but Liverpool also need to find an addition who will not deter Nyoni on his journey toward superstardom.
Whether Endo is sold for a small fee in January, ahead of the expiry of his contract, remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely the Japanese veteran will be playing much football, if any, before the end of the season, and that’s probably for the best.
