Luis Enrique Laughs Off Real Madrid Interest in PSG Star | OneFootball

Luis Enrique is not worried about keeping Willian Pacho at Paris Saint-Germain, not even amid reported transfer interest from Real Madrid.

After years of failing to get over the line in Europe, PSG finally lifted the Champions League title for the first time in club history. The French giants defeated three Premier League teams, including English champions Liverpool, en-route to European glory.

Ousmane Dembélé is now one of the favorites to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, Nuno Mendes is in the conversation for best left back in the world and Vitinha continues to garner praise from some of the biggest names in the sport.

One player that is overlooked, though, is Pacho. The 23-year-old center back was a rock alongside Marquinhos and played his role to perfection in PSG’s quadruple-winning 2024–25 season.

Willian Pacho (right) helped PSG win their first-ever Champions League title. / IMAGO/Sportsphoto

It seems Pacho impressed Real Madrid, a team focused on bolstering its backline this summer. The Spanish giants already signed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, but the club is reportedly interested in adding another center back to its ranks.

Enrique was asked about Real Madrid’s potential interest in Pacho after PSG defeated Atlético Madrid 4–0 in the FIFA Club World Cup, but the manager only laughed off the transfer speculation.

“It’s normal that [Real Madrid] want all our players, but it’s difficult to get players out of Paris Saint-Germain,” Enrique said with a smile on his face.

The statement comes 12 months after Kylian Mbappé left PSG as a free agent to join Los Blancos. The France captain was forced to watch his former team win the Champions League while he and Real Madrid finished the season without a major trophy. Mbappé at least still managed to win the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe in his debut season in a white shirt.

If Enrique has his way, Pacho will not be following Mbappé to the Spanish capital. The Ecuadorian defender made 53 appearances across all competitions in his debut PSG season and helped his team concede just six goals in nine Champions League knockout matches.