Arsenal are set to make a bid for RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano in the January transfer window or in the summer. The 20-year-old French defender joined the German club from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2017.
According to The Sun, the Gunners are set to make a bid of around £40 million for the centre-back, as the Gunners will look to tempt Leipzig to sell their prized asset as he has just 20 months remaining on his current deal. Upamecano joined RB Leipzig from sister team RB Salzburg for €10 million, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The central defender has gone on to make 81 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons, scoring three goals. Upamecano has not represented the French senior side yet, but he has played for the U21 team. The Gunners have already signed another young French defender, William Saliba, who will join the north London side at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
Dayot Upamecano- The player their defence needs?
Arsenal’s rearguard has struggled, conceding sloppy goals and not showing composure or defensive stability at the back. The signing of David Luiz from Chelsea in the summer transfer window hasn’t quite worked out for the Gunners as the Brazilian has made quite a few mistakes.
Upamecano is a player who has power, strength and speed to keep the opposition attackers at bay, while also moving the ball ahead with his pace and dribbling ability. The 6’1″ defender has won on average 1.3 aerial balls this season in Bundesliga, while also making 3.3 tackles on average per game this season.
The Frenchman is a solid defender who has averaged 3.8 clearances per game this season in Bundesliga, showing that he can defend well and also contribute to the team in attack. Dayot Upamecano is a player who can build attacks from the back with his passing, averaging 54.3 passes per game in the league, while hitting an average of 3.5 long balls.
The 20-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga, but it remains to be seen how he fares in the Premier League, as defenders from the Bundesliga have faced a degree of difficulty in adjusting to the general nature of play in England. If he can adapt to the Premier League, Upamecano could be a player who becomes an important player for the Gunners for the next decade.
Also, the potential partnership with his compatriot William Saliba is something that will appeal to both players and will pique the interest of the Arsenal board. If Emery and co show enough conviction and move ahead with this deal, they will have four exciting and diverse central defenders going ahead in the long term in Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano.