Former RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick has tipped Dayot Upamecano to join Bayern Munich, amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.
Speaking to Sport1, as relayed by The Sun, Ralf Rangnick has backed RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, who is a target for Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United, to join Bayern Munich and succeed.
The 22-year-old Upamecano has grown into one of the most sought-after defenders across Europe since joining RB Leipzig in 2017. Till date, Upamecano has racked up 123 appearances for Leipzig, ten of which have come in the 2020/21 campaign.
And while there have been a few missteps of late, the 22-year-old’s stock remains high in the transfer market, with both Liverpool and Manchester United linked heavily with a move for the three-time capped France international.
Liverpool are in a dire situation with respect to their defence, following serious injuries to their first-choice centre-back duo of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk. Both the defenders are sidelined for a lengthy period and having let Dejan Lovren leave in the summer, the Reds are left with just the injury-prone Joel Matip as the senior centre-half.
Youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams have stepped up well in recent games, but it is hard to fathom that the reigning Premier League champions will be able to mount a strong title defence with two inexperienced defenders. Thus, bringing in a new centre-back has to be a priority for Jurgen Klopp in January.
A number of defenders such as Torino’s Bremer and Ruben Semedo of Olympiacos have been linked with a switch to Anfield ahead of the winter transfer window. But, Upamecano, as per reports, is the reigning Premier League champions’ top defensive target.
The 22-year-old, however, is being courted by the Reds’ arch-rivals Manchester United as well. The 20-time English champions have looked vulnerable at the back in the new campaign, having already shipped in 14 goals in their seven league outings so far.
Harry Maguire has had an iffy start to the season, while Victor Lindelof continues to remain unconvincing. Throw in Eric Bailly’s injury issues and it isn’t hard to see why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are looking to bolster their defensive ranks with someone like Upamecano.
However, Ralf Rangnick, who brought Upamecano to Leipzig and managed him at the club for a period as well, is of the belief that the 22-year-old would be a great fit at German champions Bayern Munich.
“Bayern know this player well, you can assume that. Physically, Bayern saw that in direct duels no one will run away from him. He might still have one or two risky balls too many in a game, but he will certainly learn in the next few years,” he said, as quoted by The Sun.
With Jerome Boateng linked with an exit, along with David Alaba as well, Bayern Munich could be in need of a new centre-back soon. And it will be interesting to see if they do turn their attention towards Upamecano.
