Arsenal are in with a chance of landing the signature of RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, with the German side apparently willing to sell him. The 21-year-old French centre back has attracted interest from several top clubs in Europe, with Arsenal being a long-time admirer of the player.
As per Bild, Arsenal can sign the defender for £53 million, which is his current release clause at the club. The Gunners, though, should work quickly to sign him as the release clause expires on June 30. Leipzig are keen on selling Upamecano as his current contract with the club expires in 2021, which means that he will be available for free if he is not sold in this window.
Dayot Upamecano has made over 100 appearances for the German side since signing with them in 2017.
Dayot Upamecano: Why they should move in for him
Dayot Upamecano is a highly-regarded young defender, who has a lot of special qualities that can make him a world-class defender in the future. The French U21 international is a strong and quick defender, who uses his pace and power to close down opposition attackers. He averages 2 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this season.
Upamecano has the presence of mind and speed to get ahead of the opposition to foil their attacks. Like modern centre backs, Upamecano is also a solid passer of the ball, averaging a whopping 70.3 passes per game in the league this season. He also averages a high 5.6 long balls per game. These are numbers that influential midfielders have in some of Europe’s big clubs.
Apart from his passing, his dribbling skills also help him in having a say in the team’s build-up with the defender often seen making his way out of defence with the ball.
The Frenchman is the real deal, and with some guidance, he could go on to become one of the best defenders in Europe. Arsenal desperately need a solid centre back as the current options for manager Mikel Arteta are abysmal. David Luiz is a shadow of his former self, while Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi are too error-prone to be trusted any longer with the task of shielding an ambitious Arsenal side.
Arteta needs to begin his rebuild from the back and the signing of Upamecano could be need of the hour with Arteta possibly looking at having a young and fresh defensive backline next season with the likes of William Saliba, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers, Bellerin and Tierney raring to go and make an impression.
