United and Liverpool are reportedly ready to lock horns over the defender
Get used to hearing lots about Dayot Upamecano in the coming weeks and months.
The RB Leipzig defender’s reputation was already growing steadily throughout last season – and that was before he caught the eye with a string of composed performances in the German club’s run to a Champions League semi-final. Still just 21, the Frenchman already looks set to become one of the finest centre-halves in the game.
Upamecano’s name has already been linked with moves to some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Arsenal were very strongly linked with him before he signed a contract extension with Leipzig at the end of July. The extended deal is valid until 2023 and killed any chances of him leaving the Bundesliga side for free when his initial contract expired next summer.
There is, however, still a very strong possibility Upamecano will be plying his trade elsewhere in 12 months’s time. Whereas his old contract contained a clause which allowed him to leave in exchange for a £54m fee, his new deal, according to SportBILD (via the Metro), contains an agreement which becomes active next summer that would allow him to leave for a mere €40m (£36.5m).
Premier League champions Liverpool are credited with interest, with Jurgen Klopp seeing him as the ideal candidate to form a form a formidable central defensive partnership with Virgil van Dijk.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester United are also said to be keen. Upamecano was one of four priority transfer targets identified by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over the summer. Having missed out on all of them – and given the error-strewn start to the new campaign by United’s defence – the youngster would be a welcome addition at Old Trafford.
Upamecano has been on United’s radar for some time, with Derek Langley, United’s former head of youth recruitment, revealing the club turned down the chance to sign him, Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie De Jong when the trio were teenagers.
