Liverpool linked with moves for big-money Frankfurt duo

Liverpool have been linked with not one but two Eintracht Frankfurt stars in separate reports from Germany.

With the January transfer deadline passing on 1 February, the Reds are poised for their first mid-season window without a first-team arrival since 2019.

However, there is already plenty of talk about which players the club are targeting this summer.

To that end, separate reports from Sport Bild claim that Liverpool are interested in Frankfurt stars Willian Pacho and Hugo Larsson, but will face strong competition for both.

22-year-old centre back Pacho is being monitored by Arsenal and Manchester United, as well as the Reds, with scouts of the Premier League sides sent to watch him this season.

Caicedo twist to Liverpool's Pacho chase

The report claims that the Ecuador international regularly speaks with Moises Caicedo about England and is seemingly keen on a move.

Having only arrived in Frankfurt last summer, in a €9m move from Royal Antwerp, Pacho will not come cheap for any suitor and it will supposedly take a fee of around €60m (£51m) to get a deal done.

It is added that Pacho — who typically plays on the left side of a back three for Frankfurt — is planning a meeting with the club and his advisors over the summer and will only listen to enquiries at the end of the current campaign.

The young star has the fourth-most tackles of any defender in the Bundesliga so far in 2023/24 with 43.

Meanwhile, another report by the same publication outlines Liverpool's interest in a potentially even more expensive member of the Frankfurt squad.

Sport Bild claim that the Reds and Arsenal are both looking at 19-year-old talent Hugo Larsson.

It is suggested that Frankfurt hope to bring in as much as €80m (£68m) from the youngster's sale, as there is no release clause in his contract which runs until 2028.

Already a full Sweden international, Larsson has been a key man for Frankfurt this season, having arrived from Malmo last summer.

While it's hard to imagine Liverpool spending big on another midfielder, having undergone an extensive rebuild last year that saw four new arrivals, the Reds' transfer plans are likely to hinge on the appointments of the new sporting director and manager in the coming months, with Jorg Schmadtke and Jurgen Klopp both vacating their roles.