Liverpool are set to propose signing Willian Pacho and loaning him back to Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Bild.

The German tabloid claims that the Reds are worried that, if they wait another year to sign the Ecuadorian international, his value could increase further.

Frankfurt are already demanding €60m (£51m) for Pacho so it remains to be seen if the Merseysiders are willing to pay that much, knowing he won’t actually play for the club for another twelve months.

Michael Edwards did employ a similar tactic when he was sporting director, agreeing to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2017 before he eventually moved to Anfield in July 2018.

Liverpool do have rivals for Pacho’s signature

It has been reported in the German media that Arsenal have also enquired about the defender’s availability in recent weeks.

In order to head off a potential bid from the Gunners for Pacho, it appears the Reds could be willing to get a deal in place early, whilst knowing that he won’t be able to make his debut until the start of the 2025/26 season.

A potential replacement for van Dijk?

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is closing in on the final year of his contract and, if he doesn’t sign an extension, next campaign could well be his last at the club.

Pacho could, therefore, be the player in line to succeed the Dutch international in the starting lineup. The Ecuadorian is left-footed, which means he would be best suited to van Dijk’s position as the left-sided centre-half.

The Frankfurt defender is also 22 years of age, a decade younger than van Dijk, so he can certainly be classed as a long-term replacement.

Most of the reports about Liverpool’s interest in Pacho are coming from Germany at the moment but we shall see if this transfer rumour does gather pace in the coming weeks.