Willian Pacho was a huge deal for Eintracht Frankfurt: It was only in the summer of 2023 that the Hessians secured the talented but previously unknown central defender for 13.65 million euros from Royal Antwerp, and a year later they sold him to Paris Saint-Germain for almost three times as much sell.
The fact that the Parisians gave Frankfurt 40 million euros may have been too much of a good thing after just one season in the Bundesliga. However, the sum testified to the outstanding development of the 22-year-old, who immediately made an impact at Frankfurt and was one of the few constants in Eintracht’s defense last season.
Pacho was able to take his strong form with him to Paris. The Ecuadorian is placed in the center of defense next to captain Marquinhos and has been on the pitch in all nine competitive games so far, in eight of them from the start and over the full distance.
After the 1-0 win in the Champions League opener against FC Girona, he enthused: “I’m very happy. Today is a very important day for me, because when I was little I dreamed of being in the Champions League To play. I’m fulfilling a dream. As far as my place in the team is concerned, I do what is asked of me.
Pacho impresses in Paris primarily with his strength in duels and his mature play structure. Contrary to many expectations, he displaced PSG talent Lucas Beraldo, who was actually considered Marquinhos’ successor, during the summer break. But there is currently no way around the ex-Frankfurter.
“Pacho is simply great. He is very appreciated by the fans. In Paris no one talks about how much he costs or where he comes from,” said PSG expert Philippe Goguet at the end of Spetmber fussball.news. “Pacho is an undisputed starter – the only newcomer in this case. He is on a very good path. It is even impressive how quickly he has adapted to PSG and French football. His style of play and his skills complement the rest perfectly the players around him.”
So it seems like the Pacho transfer – in contrast to Randal Kolo Muani’s – was completely worth it for PSG.
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