Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing a young centre-back, French U-21 international Dayot Upamecano, who currently plays for German club RB Leipzig, but maybe put off by the huge asking price that Leipzig are demanding.
As per The Guardian, the German side want £70 million for the 20-year-old centre-back after a bid of around £55 million was turned down by Leipzig.
The Gunners are keen on signing a new centre-back to replace their captain Laurent Koscielny who has finally completed a controversial move to Bordeaux. Upamecano played two seasons for Red Bull Salzburg, before switching to Red Bull Leipzig in 2017 for a fee of €10 million. The young Frenchman has made 49 appearances for the club in two seasons and has caught the attention of clubs like Arsenal.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of signing Dayot Upamecano:
Pros
The 6’1″ defender is a player with great strength, who is good in the air while also quick to smell danger and get to the opposition attacker with his pace. Upamecano has the agility to stifle counter attacks as well close down strikers, while he also uses his pace well to move forward with the ball at his feet and initiate attacks. Upamecano is a powerful defender who can bully opposition attackers while also brushing off challenges when moving the ball ahead.
He won an average of 3.1 headers last season in the Bundesliga, and an average of 2.9 clearances in 15 games. He is a good passer of the ball too, averaging 49.9 passes per game last season. Overall, he is a good tackler, quick with or without the ball, and has the ability to read the game well from the heart of the defence.
Cons
The biggest con of this deal going through is the price that Leipzig have put on Upamecano. The 20-year-old is clearly a talented player who could become a top star in the Premier League, but £70 million for a 20-year-old who has never played for a top side or even in the Premier League is asking for far too much.
And as we are on the issue of transfer fees, Arsenal have already spent £72m on Nicolas Pepe this summer and such a substantial splurge seems highly unlikely from a neutral point of view.
Also, as he is still in the infant stage of his career, he is prone to a lapse of concentration, which could perhaps prove costly. It also remains to be seen if he can lead a defence that is crying out for leaders, and shoulder the burden of the defence at the tender of age of 20.
