Liverpool’s priority in the transfer market this summer simply has to be in central defence.
In the eyes of many, the Reds sold themselves a little short by not bringing in a new defender last summer.
And while Jarell Quansah has stepped up beautifully, the truth is that his ascension to the first-team squad was a big gamble. Liverpool got away with it.
With Joel Matip set to leave though, they’re set to be another man down. As Jamie Carragher recently pointed out, the Reds have to dip into the market.
Thankfully, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Liverpool will indeed look to bolster their back line this summer. And on Friday, the journalist gave an update on one player who could be a target.
Liverpool monitoring Willian Pacho
It will be interesting to observe which player Liverpool decide is the right one to compliment their defence.
With Michael Edwards returning to oversee recruitment, we should all have an inkling into the kind of profile he likes to target.
One of those who could fit the bill is Eintracht Frankfurt’s Willian Pacho. The Ecuadorian has already been reported as being high up on Edwards’ shopping list this summer.
Pacho is actually said to be one of a number of Eintracht players Liverpool are looking at. And speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Romano has confirmed that the 22-year-old is a player the Reds like.
“At the moment I’m hearing Pacho has been one of the players that they’ve been monitoring,” says the journalist. “They’ve been really attentive to the Eintracht situation, so they appreciate the way they play and they believe that there are some players with really good talent there.
“Liverpool have been scouting and following the player, but there is still no negotiation between clubs or on the player’s side to the club. It’s still early.”
Who else are Liverpool looking at
Pacho would appear to be a smart addition should Liverpool pull it off. The Eintracht man has been slowly improving since arriving in Europe with Royal Antwerp in 2022.
Having won the Belgian league and cup double with Antwerp, Pacho moved to Germany last summer, where he’s become a key player for Dino Topmoller’s team.
With a reported price-tag of around £51m though, the Ecuador international wouldn’t come cheap. As a result, you can be sure that Liverpool are casting their eye elsewhere, too.
One who may fit the bill is Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande. After reports on Thursday that Sporting may accept a lower offer for Diomande, he should be another the Reds assess.
Other targets such as Goncalo Inacio and Tosin Adarabioyo now look to be off the table. By the sounds of it, Pacho is very much still on it.
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