Liverpool are expected to bolster their defensive department ahead of potential departures this summer.
Joel Matip’s contract, for one, is currently set to expire in 2025, with a ruptured ACL having derailed much of the Cameroonian’s 2023/24 season.
Questions remain over what the summer will hold for backup left-back Kostas Tsimikas.
Meanwhile, Sky German’s Florian Plettenberg reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the Reds have yet to open talks with Frankfurt for highly-rated 22-year-old centre-back Willian Pacho.
That possibly depends on how neatly the Ecuadorian fits the bill as a Matip replacement or a long-term Virgil van Dijk successor.
Whilst we appreciate it can seem a little obsessive to focus on Pacho’s aerial ability, his comparative struggles to our Dutch international are worth highlighting. The Frankfurt man is so far winning an average of 56.6% of his aerial duels attempted compared to our No.4’s 76.1%, according to FBref.
There’s more hope for the centre-half in the Matip category. The former Schalke star, known for his trademark ball-carrying ability, is one of the most competent defenders in world football on the ball and ranks in the 81st percentile for progressive carries.
The Liverpool-linked centre-back currently ranks in the 58th percentile but does comparatively excel in take-ons.
