Who is Willian Pacho? The talented Bundesliga star tracked by Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham
Crystal Palace, Everton, West Ham linked Eintracht Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho
Willian Pacho is an Ecuadorian centre-back currently plying his trade in Germany for Eintracht Frankfurt and is being touted for a Premier League switch.
TEAMtalk’s Dean Jones revealed on Wednesday that Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham are set to rival each other for the Bundesliga star.
Pacho joined Frankfurt from Belgian champions Royal Antwerp this summer in a move said to be around £8million, replacing the outgoing Roma-bound Evan Ndicka.
Frankfurt so far this season has the best defensive record in the Bundesliga, conceding only five goals in seven matches.
The 22-year-old has been a key figure in that backline where he has predominantly played on the left side of a back three that consists of on-loan Leeds United man Robin Koch and the Brazilian Tuta.
With Crystal Palace man Marc Guehi being linked with a move to Manchester United, Pacho is already being lined up as a potential replacement for the England international.
With that in mind, we could potentially see a bidding war take place for Pacho in January, with at least three Premier League sides vying for his signature.
Pacho’s career so far
Born and raised in Ecuador, Pacho came through the youth ranks at Independiente del Valle, the same system that £100million Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo came through.
Independiente del Valle lifted the Ecuadorian League title for the very first time in 2021 with Pacho playing in 17 games and starting 16 of them.
After making 40 appearances for his boyhood club, like many South American players, Pacho made the switch to Europe, joining Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp for just under £5million in January 2022.
His first full year in Belgium would yield Antwerp’s first league title since 1957, often partnering former Spurs man Toby Alderweireld in a back four.
Pacho’s exploits attracted the interest of numerous European clubs, but in January 2023 it was announced that UEFA Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt had agreed to sign him at the end of the season.
Pacho has appeared for Ecuador on seven occasions, scoring two goals so far.
What is Pacho like as a player?
Wearing the number three at Eintracht Frankfurt, Pacho stands at 1.86 m (6 ft 1) with his strong left foot enabling him to play as either the left centre-back in a back four or on the left side of a back three.
His athletic ability makes him an imposing figure in defence. Not only is he quick, strong and powerful but Pacho is very smart, too.
Much like Spurs’ Cristian Romero, Pacho’s athleticism allows him to jump out of the back line and intercept any key passes that might be attempted and his intelligence helps him to have the correct judgement and timing as and when to make those interceptions.
Also very good on the ball, his technical ability allows his team to play out of the back with confidence. Whilst still in South America, he recorded 8.05 passes to the final third per 90 – huge numbers.
His progressive nature can suit both direct teams which look to transition the ball from back to front at speed and teams which enjoy controlling possession, building from the back and drawing teams in.
Pacho’s rise has been significant and so has the rise in his value.
Only joining current club Eintracht Frankfurt for £8million this summer, the centre-back’s value has already doubled after just seven Bundesliga games.
According to Transfermarkt, Pacho’s market value is currently around £15million, though any deal to take him out of Frankfurt would be significantly higher than that because he has only recently signed for the German team and is under contract until 2028.
It would be expected that a fee of around £35million would be more likely for the 22-year-old centre-back, as Frankfurt will see no reason the sell for cheap.
Where will Pacho go?
The Ecuadorian already has admirers from the Premier League as Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham have all been linked with a move.
Crystal Palace have the joint third-best defence in the Premier League this season with a centre-back partnership of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen proving fruitful for the Eagles.
However, Guehi, who has been capped by England seven times, has recently been linked with a switch to Man United, so a spot in that back line could be available soon.
Everton have noticeably improved this season under Sean Dyche with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite the preferred partnership as of late. However, Tarkowski is now 30, so a move for Pacho who is eight years younger may be a wise move in the long-term.
Europa Conference League winners West Ham have again impressed this season with the centre-back duo of Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd not seeing much rotation thus far.
Konstantinos Mavropanos bolstered the Hammers’ defensive options this summer following his move from Stuttgart and are reportedly looking to add to their options with the left-footed Pacho being courted.
