Liverpool ready £51m Naby Keita trick to win Arsenal battle for 22-year-old

Liverpool could repeat a trick they pulled off in 2017 in order to secure a highly-rated 22-year-old. Arsenal are also in this fight.

Bild report that Liverpool are very much in the mix to sign Willian Pacho this summer. The Eintracht Frankfurt defender only joined last summer but his performances this season have several clubs lining up to get him.

Their report mentions two clubs: Liverpool and Arsenal. The Reds are the principle club here, though - and the ones who could ultimately strike an interesting deal here.

Bild claim that Liverpool may sign Pacho this summer but immediately loan him back to Frankfurt for the next year. This is because the Reds fear he’ll be worth far more in 2025 and plainly believe they can cope without him for a year.

Frankfurt would certainly be more likely to sell if they don’t immediately lose him, while Liverpool could get themselves a ‘bargain’. We say that with some hesitance as the fee this summer would still reportedly be £51m.

Not exactly a steal, then.

But if Liverpool want to beat everyone else to the signing - and expect both interest and the fee to rise in a year - then this might make some sense. Though, it didn’t go too well last time.

Naby Keita take two

Liverpool did do this back in 2017 when they agreed a year early to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig. Now, that was slightly different as the Reds struck a deal a year in advance, rather than grabbing him and then loaning him back.

But the idea was the same. Liverpool expected interest in Keita to leap the following summer as a release clause came into play. Bayern Munich were heavily linked with the midfielder, so the Reds made their move.

Now, Keita never lived up to his lofty price-tag or the extra effort that Liverpool went to sign him. The transfer itself was a success, though, as it secured the Reds a player they really wanted at a decent price.

Pacho could be a repeat of that - and it’s one to watch this summer.