PSG have pulled off a fantastic signing

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·8 January 2026

PSG have pulled off a fantastic signing

Willian Pacho is one of the players who quickly won over the Paris Saint-Germain supporters. The 24-year-old defender from Ecuador, who arrived in the summer of 2024 from Eintracht Frankfurt, could he earn the honorary title of “best defender in the club’s history”? That’s the question L’Equipe posed to Éric Rabésandratana, a former defender who played 135 matches for PSG between 1997 and 2001.

Rabésandratana: “Sometimes he dives in and gets caught in a duel.”

“What impresses me is his mentality, his way of being involved in duels while remaining unflappable. But there’s a coherence to it: Pacho is the embodiment of quiet strength. He’s the guarantor of concentration, solidity, he’s fearless. He quickly understands what needs to be done and goes for it. And on top of that, he’s super efficient, strong on his feet, always well positioned. He’s not perfect, he still has a few lapses, sometimes he dives in and gets caught in a duel. But that’s because he’s used to winning the ball back 8 or 9 times out of 10, so yes, there’s that one time he gets beaten. With experience, he’ll correct that. Honestly, I’m nitpicking here, because the truth is, 98% of the time, he does things right.”

Rabésandratana: “The guy came out of nowhere”

Another impressive aspect: his speed of integration. The guy came out of nowhere, hardly anyone knew him, and you get the feeling he’s been here for years. Yet, as Luis Enrique says, it’s tough to arrive at a team like PSG, already established. He was well supported by Marquinhos, with whom he is complementary. To take over, it’s a really great find. Where do I place him in history? It’s always complicated to compare eras, teams, and he’s only been here for a year and a half. If I have to make a comparison, he reminds me of Marqui with this immediate acclimatization. Like it was meant to be.”

Of course, Pacho can still improve. That’s logical at 24 years old and, in any case, for a footballer. None are perfect, not even our favorites. Also, it’s “logical” for a defender to be beaten sometimes, otherwise matches would be pretty dull in terms of goals. The main thing is that it remains particularly difficult and rare. Which already applies quite well to the Ecuadorian. Even if he does sometimes get caught when stepping out to challenge the attacker. There’s room for improvement in timing and decision-making, no doubt. Even if it’s also PSG’s very offensive style that exposes him a bit.

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And, precisely, the former Frankfurt man is a real asset for Paris because he very often manages these situations. Thanks to his game sense, aggressiveness, physical strength, speed, and composure. Great qualities that he manages to use with impressive consistency and after an incredibly fast adaptation. Certainly, because he always knows how to stay confident and keep his cool. Maybe there’s also a secret in his famous chewing gum, which he chews as calmly as he deals with his opponents.

In any case, it’s a superb success in PSG’s recruitment. Yet, criticism came quickly when signing a player who had only spent one season in Frankfurt after a year in Belgium (at Royal Antwerp) following his arrival from Ecuador. All for about 40 million euros. But in the end, it was for a piece that perfectly completes Luis Enrique’s team. And still many years ahead at the very highest level, hopefully with most of them at PSG.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.