Arsenal have long been chasing RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano and the Premier League side might finally be able to get their hands on him, as per the Standard.
The centre-back joined RB Leipzig in 2017 from Salzburg and since then, he’s been a key figure at the back for the Bundesliga side. This season he has already featured in 25 league matches for the German side having provided one assist.
But Dayot Upamecano has just one year left on his current deal and now Leipzig’s CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has made it clear that the defender will not be allowed to leave as a free agent next summer.
“Upa is an extremely important player for us and one of the most sought-after talents in his position,” Mintzlaff told Bild, as reported.
“One thing we can assure you of is that we have a very clear understanding with him and his agent that he will not be allowed to leave for free. We can’t afford that as a club.
“There are two options for him – he will either sign a contract extension or leave. I’m sure that we will know relatively quickly in which direction it goes.”
Can Arsenal sign Dayot Upamecano?
So if Upamecano does not sign a new deal at the club then the Bundesliga side will have no other option but to sell him off in the summer.
And this is great news for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta who’s really longing to add a new centre-back to his first-team squad next season.
David Luiz could be on his way out and if the North London side can bring in someone like Dayot Upamecano as his replacement then their defensive line will receive a massive boost.
But the biggest problem in signing the 21-year-old is the fact that Bayern Munich are currently the frontrunners in landing the deal – if Leipzig do decide to let the player head out.
Without Champions League football, there’s no way Arsenal can fight the might of the Bavarian outfit meaning Arteta will either have to hope that Hansi Flick drops his interest or he himself looks for an alternative.
