Arsenal scout £39m PSG starter in baffling transfer move
Arsenal have joined Manchester City in scouting Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho in a surprise twist, a report has claimed.
Arsenal had the strongest defence in the Premier League last season, conceding just 27 goals on their route to a first league title in 22 years. Over the summer, the Gunners made Piero Hincapie’s loan move from Bayer Leverkusen permanent for €40million (£34m), while also bolstering their defence with the £55m capture of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.
Konsa will help to replace William Saliba, who is still recovering from a back injury sustained at the World Cup.
Mikel Arteta has the best defensive options of any Premier League manager by some distance. Yet CaughtOffside bizarrely claim PSG centre-back Pacho is yet another defensive target for the reigning Premier League champions.
Their report reads: ‘Arsenal and Manchester City are continuing to monitor Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho as both Premier League heavyweights consider future additions to their back lines…
‘Sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside that Arsenal and Man City have both compiled detailed scouting reports on Pacho and recently watched him during PSG’s 2-2 draw with Lille.’
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Arsenal see Pacho as ‘another high-level left-footed defensive option’, while City ‘believe his passing and recovery speed would suit Enzo Maresca’s possession-based system’.
However, the report adds that a January move to bring the Ecuador star to England ‘looks extremely unlikely’ as he has agreed to extend his PSG contract from 2029 to 2031.
Even without this new deal, Arsenal signing Pacho would be a big surprise. Arteta already has Gabriel, Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori as left-footed defenders in his squad, so there is no real need to bring Pacho in.
Such a transfer could make slightly more sense for City, as Pacho would arrive to compete with Josko Gvardiol. But 24-year-old Pacho will not want to risk sitting on the bench at City or Arsenal when he is currently a regular starter at PSG.
Pacho set to stay at PSG despite Arsenal link
The French giants paid Eintracht Frankfurt €45m (£39m) for Pacho in August 2024, and it has proven to be a great investment.
He made 44 appearances last term as PSG retained their Champions League crown while also lifting the Ligue 1 title and Trophee des Champions.
Pacho has played every minute of PSG’s campaign so far, though Luis Enrique’s men have had an underwhelming start.
For Arsenal, supporters will want sporting director Andrea Berta to focus on the signing of a new left winger.
Arsenal need an elite winger to rival Christos Tzolis after selling both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the summer. They had targeted Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior but missed out on both players.
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