West Ham United and Everton are interested in Eintracht Frankfurt star Willian Pacho
Eintracht Frankfurt star Willian Pacho is one of the Bundesliga’s breakout players this season and continues to draw attention from several Premier League clubs including West Ham United and Everton.
The 22-year-old arrived at the Deutsche Bank Park in the summer of 2023 from Royal Antwerp and has immediately adjusted to life in the German top flight. The centre-back has made 12 appearances for Frankfurt across all competitions and is now a first-XI regular.
A solid defender with a good reading of the game and the ability to tackle, Pacho has what it takes to be a complete player. His ability on the ball and passing range also adds another flavour to a player who can thrive well in the modern game.
According to TeamTalk, Everton and West Ham are both keen on the 22-year-old’s services ahead of the 2024 January transfer window. Both teams could do with a new centre-back who can provide them with a solution in the role for the upcoming decade.
Crystal Palace are interested in the player as well. Players like Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi have been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park and they could look to bring in a replacement.
Everton have James Tarkowski and Michael Keane as their centre-back veterans with Jarrad Brantwaite and Ben Godfrey also in the fray. The former is attracting attention from several teams including Manchester United but signed a new deal at Goodison Park. Retaining him while also signing Pacho should future-proof the position for years to come.
West Ham also need a young defender given their current roster. David Moyes has Thilo Kehrer, Nayef Aguerd, Kort Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos. All four are in their mid-twenties and can hold the fort while Pacho learns his trade, should he mope to the London Stadium.
As things stand, West Ham are in a better position than Everton in terms of prospects but the youngster is more likely to secure more playtime at Goodison Park. The Ecuadorian is still a work in progress and is far from the finished product.
The Ecuadorian international was brought into the club as a replacement for Evan Ndicka and Frankfurt will not be in any mood to part ways with him any time soon. Any deal is likely to be worth around £35million, assuming Frankfurt are ready to even do business.
