Dayot Upamecano in action for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen (Photo by: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Manchester United appear to have given momentum to their move pursuit for Bayern Munich central defender Dayot Upamecano.
Bild has recently reported on Upamecano’s relationship with the Red Devils, and now Christian Falk has provided an important update on the France international’s situation.
In the latest edition of his exclusive CF Bayern Insider column, Falk denied reports that Bayern had made progress on signing Upamecano on a new contract.
A leading German journalist explained that negotiations have been going on for some time, but the contract fee is likely to be a major issue.
Falk also mentioned Liverpool and Real Madrid as possible destinations for Upamecano.
Dayot Upamecano not close to signing new contract with Bayern Munich
Regarding Upamecano’s contract situation, Falk said: “There is some sort of agreement between Bayern and Upamecano regarding his base salary since he will be a free agent in the summer, but there is always a signing bonus! And the signing bonus is an issue in the negotiations.”
“Bayern Munich have Alphonso Davies, who was in the same situation last year. The Canadian has earned a lot of money. I hear the signing fee alone is around 20-22 million euros (17.4-19.1 million pounds)! Upamecano knows this, of course, and is asking, ‘What are we going to do?’ my How much does the signature cost? ”
“If he goes to another club like Liverpool, he could get a free agent bonus. Real Madrid and PSG are also interested. So this is really difficult for Bayern, because the team’s wage bill is already quite high and the team as a whole has a goal of reducing this by 20%. This makes the situation very difficult.”
“I heard that the difference between what Bayern Munich wants to pay and what Upamecano wants is still very large.”
Where next for Dayot Upamecano?
Upamecano could be a great addition for United, who are currently in need of further reinforcements in several positions.
The 26-year-old was one of the top defensive players in Europe at the time and it seems clear that he would be a good fit at either United or Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim could bring more experience along with talented young defenders like Lenny Yolo and Aiden Haven, but it remains to be seen whether Upamecano will be tempted by MUFC if a club like LFC also gets involved.
Upamecano will no doubt play a key role in Arne Slott’s back four, as Liverpool have Ibrahima Konate nearing the end of his contract, but with Virgil van Dijk turning 35 next season, they could look to bring in a younger player.
