Two key areas of focus for the summer transfer window are starting to appear, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Willian Pacho is the latest linked as a reinforcement at centre-back.
Change will be rife at the club this summer with an overhaul in the coaching department, player departures and new signings, the latter of which is expected to bolster opposite ends of the pitch.
Earlier this month, it was reported the club are expected to target a new winger, and a centre-back appears to be on the agenda too.
Arne Slot is poised to take over as the new head coach, but with Michael Edwards having a seat at the table alongside new sporting director Richard Hughes, a new hierarchy has been established.
And when it comes to defensive additions, Frankfurt’s Pacho has been name-checked a number of times, and the reliable Neil Jones, in a column for Caught Offside, has noted the links “have substance.”
Allowed to leave if price is right
The 22-year-old is only in his first season in the Bundesliga after moving from Royal Antwerp last summer, and thus he is contracted until 2028.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, whose reliability is questionable after the Ruben Amorim chase, claims he will be allowed to leave this summer if a club pays above €50 million (£42.9m).
The Ecuadorian has played 42 times for Frankfurt this season and has missed just three games – availability that the Reds will value, in addition to his senior experience at just 22.
As per Fbref, he is ranked in the 84th percentile – against his peers across Europe’s big five leagues – for blocks, and 80th percentile for clearances, which shows he’s had plenty of defending to do.
However, his aerial success rate is not as impressive, sitting in just the 38th percentile – Virgil van Dijk, for comparison, is in the 98th percentile.
Whether Pacho is who Liverpool pursue, the profile of the player the club may target is clearly going to be young and with ample experience, as has been the trend over the years.
The club have Jarell Quansah, and Sepp van den Berg will be hoping for a chance in pre-season, but with Joel Matip likely to depart and Ibrahima Konate‘s questionable reliability, further reinforcements will be required.
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