Arsenal are reportedly keen on making a move for the highly-talented Dayot Upamecano, who currently plays for RB Leipzig in Germany. The 21-year-old Frenchman has impressed for the German club since moving from Red Bull Salzburg in 2017.
According to Daily Star, the Gunners want to bring in Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng in the January transfer window on a loan deal, before pursuing the signature of Upamecano in the summer. The report says that the north London side did make an attempt to sign him in the 2019 summer transfer window, but were unable to complete the move. The report further states that the Gunners want to pair Upamecano with William Saliba, who signed with Arsenal in 2019 but is currently on loan at Saint-Étienne till the end of the season.
Dayot Upamecano’s contract with Leipzig expires in 2021 with the player having joined the club on a four and a half year deal. He has made 20 appearances this season for Leipzig and has made 95 appearances in total for the German club.
Dayot Upamecano: Good long term option?
Dayot Upamecano has been one of the silent heroes for the German club, helping the club to climb to the top of the Bundesliga this season. A key player for the side, having started 14 of the 18 league games, the Frenchman’s ability to read the game from the back is very good for a player of his age.
The 21-year-old reads the game well, averaging 1.5 interceptions per game in the league, while he is also a decent tackler, averaging 2.5 tackles per game. His most impressive trait is his passing as he is a player who likes to build from the back with his calm and intelligent use of the ball. He has averaged 73.6 passes in each game this season while playing 5.2 long balls per game on average.
His ability to distribute the ball from the back, as well as move it forward with confident dribbling, makes him a player who stands out from the rest. Dayot Upamecano would suit Arteta’s quick passing and possession-oriented game. He is a player that the Gunners should seriously pursue as he has all the qualities needed from a young, exciting centre-back. Upamecano has been one of the stars for Leipzig this season and he could bring that form to the Arsenal defence and improve it significantly, as Arteta looks to take things up a notch next season.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored