Liverpool are planning to sign Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho during the upcoming summer transfer window to bolster their defence
Liverpool wants Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho to bolster their defence during their first transfer window under manager Arne Slot. The 22-year-old played a pivotal role for Frankfurt this season even though they have stumbled badly in recent weeks.
Frankfurt are currently sixth in the Bundesliga table at the Europa Conference League Qualifiers position with two games to go. They lost three of their last four games against the top Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart.
Standing at 1.88 metres, Pacho has a formidable presence in Frankfurt’s backline and uses his body well in duels. He has the strength to shield the ball on possession while putting himself between the ball and the attacker.
The 22-year-old prefers to play on the left side of the defence, playing at the left in the three-man defence. He is a modern-day central defender, capable of distributing accurate passes from the backline to build the game from the defence.
He uses composure and good decision-making on the ball, making good progressive passes from the back. However, the Ecuador international’s passing accuracy falls drastically when delivering the long balls (48.9%) and he needs to improve that.
The mitigating factor is the quality of players that surround Pacho and their movement and capability to reach his passes. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is technically sound and capable of asserting his position in a possessional-based team like Liverpool.
Defensively, despite the power and athleticism, Pacho uses positioning and calmness to initiate his tackles and interceptions. The Ecuador international has registered only eight yellow cards in all competitions while providing two assists in 42 appearances.
Pacho demonstrates discipline and success in making timely tackles and interceptions, along with numerous ball recoveries for Frankfurt. Daily Mirror (h/t Fichajes) reported that Liverpool have contacted the agent of Pacho for a potential transfer during the summer.
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Frankfurt values the 22-year-old at around £50m, a respectable sum in the currently inflated transfer market. The Reds want a long-term option as their captain Virgil van Dijk reaches 33 years of age in July.
Furthermore, the departure of Joel Matip and injury concerns that surround Ibrahima Konate leave more vulnerability in defence. The Reds have struggled with defensive fragility throughout the current season, which had dire consequences recently with a dip in form. The Reds want incoming manager Slot to have all the necessary players he needs as the new era at Anfield begins.
