With a growing centre-back problem, Liverpool are now reportedly preparing a 2026 move to sign a defender worth over £55m, and he’s been compared to star Arsenal colossus Gabriel.
Liverpool's centre-back problem
The Reds entered the current campaign with a plethora of attacking options.
Arne Slot has been spoiled for choice, with Hugo Ekitiké, record signing Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and others all vying for a starting place. But the same can’t be said for his back four.
The Dutchman has already been forced to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, in a decision that has unexpectedly proven effective, and may yet have to turn towards an auxiliary centre-back.
After Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury, Liverpool have just three senior centre-backs to turn to. One of them is Joe Gomez, who Slot just snubbed to play Ryan Gravenberch in the role against Chelsea when Konate was forced off through injury. So, to put it simply, the Reds may be in the midst of another defensive crisis.
Of course, the arrival of Marc Guehi was meant to solve that problem, until Crystal Palace pulled the plug on his Anfield switch in the final hours of the summer transfer window.
Now, with the race wide open for his signature, and Guehi leaning towards Real Madrid, Liverpool may be forced to turn towards other options.
This has already seen a number of names emerge as potential candidates ahead of next summer, when Konate is still scheduled to leave as a free agent with his contract yet to be sorted.
It’s a problem that Richard Hughes must solve and the arrival of one Paris Saint-Germain star would do exactly that in 2026.
Liverpool preparing Pacho move
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now preparing a move to sign Willian Pacho from PSG in 2026, if they fail to sign Guehi, with Hughes and the Merseysiders recruitment team viewing Luis Enrique’s man as an alternative.
The central defender is valued at €65m (£57m) and is one of the most impressive rising stars in his position as a Champions League winner at just 23-years-old.
Whether he’s the main man in PSG’s backline is another question, however. The Ecuador international has started just three of his side’s seven Ligue 1 games so far this season, but both of their Champions League clashes against Atalanta and Barcelona in a mixed start to the campaign.
Minutes
2,132
2,560
Progressive Passes
53
115
Tackles Won
32
26
Ball Recoveries
119
98
When compared to Konate last season, Pacho’s work out of possession stands out the most. Although he must work on progressing play in possession, the South American’s ball recovery rate would hand Liverpool another imperious figure next to Virgil van Dijk next year.
Also dubbed the “baby Gabriel” by analyst Ben Mattinson, PSG’s utility man is certainly someone with a lot of fans in European football.
Whether Liverpool can lure him away from the European champions remains to be seen, however.
