Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona are set to miss out on defensive prodigy Dayot Upamecano, who is reportedly close to sealing a €12 million move to RB Leipzig

Daily Mirror have reported that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona are set to miss out on Red Bull Salzburg prodigy Dayot Upamecano. The player, who has earned rave reviews for his performances in Austria, is reportedly set to join the in-form Bundesliga outfit Red Bull Leipzig in a €12 million deal.

Dayot Upamecano joined Red Bull Salzburg from French side Valenciennes in July, 2015 in a €2.2 million deal and has since grabbed the attention of every major European club with his rapid rise and impressive performances in the Austrian Bundesliga for the Red Bull-owned franchise.

The centre-back, who can also put in a decent shift as a defensive midfielder, has been continuously linked with Arsenal and Barcelona in the recent past with Manchester United emerging as a new club in the race for the 18-year-old’s signature.

Arsenal were said to be hot in pursuit of Upamecano and were even reported to have their advances rejected by the centre-back, who wished for a move to Barcelona instead. The Blaugrana have already signed young French defenders in Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Digne in the summer, and Upamecano was hopeful of joining his compatriots at Nou Camp.

Manchester United, on the other hand, were equally invested in the player with Jose Mourinho eyeing defensive additions of his own. And even though Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones have been a more-than-able pair at the back, their long-term viability is still in doubt while Eric Bailly is unavailable due to his international obligation at the African Cup of Nations (AFCoN).

Upamecano would be elated at joining a high-flying RB Leipzig side. (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Upamecano would be elated at joining a high-flying RB Leipzig side. (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

But as it stands RB Leipzig are set to take yet another scalp and get another one over the top European clubs. Earlier, Oliver Burke was snatched under the noses of the elites by the Bundesliga newcomers, and they look set to repeat the feat with Dayot Upamecano.

Reports indicate a €12 million deal has been struck between the two Red Bull-owned franchises and German publication Sport24 has even gone to the extent of claiming that the player is set to sign for Leipzig in the coming 7 days.

Leipzig do have the advantage of a common management, which has already seen the likes of Naby Keita, Stafan Ilsanker and Marcel Sabitzer make the move from Austria to Germany. Also, current Sporting director of RB Leipzig, Ralf Rangnick was the one who signed Upamecano for RB Salzburg, during his time as their head of footballing operations.

Upamecano has 18 months left on his current deal with a 1-year extension option at the perusal of the club, which makes the €12 million fee seem value for money. The 18-year-old is widely regarded as a prodigy and already has top-tier experience under his belt, with 23 senior appearances for RB Salzburg at such a nascent age.

RB Leipzig are truly making waves in the footballing world, both on the pitch and otherwise. And, the signing of Dayot Upamecano looks set to to be the next statement of intent from the club to the elites of European football. A statement that there is a new heavyweight in town, one who can challenge the supremacy of the giants, both in footballing and commercial terms.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.