Manchester United have reportedly ended their interest in Dayot Upamecano, as Bayern Munich face competition from Liverpool and Chelsea.
According to reputed German journalist Christian Falk, Manchester United are no longer in the running for RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano. Chelsea and Liverpool have been tipped as favourites alongside Bayern Munich in the race to sign the Frenchman.
Dayot Upamecano is one of Europe’s most sought-after centre-backs at the moment and has been on the wishlists of several top clubs across Europe. The 22-year-old joined RB Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg in 2017 and has made over 100 appearances for the German club, playing a key role for Die Rotten Bullen.
Under Julian Nagelsmann’s management, Upamecano and Leipzig have challenged the mighty Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title and even made it to the UEFA Champions League semi-final last season. The Frenchman has a €42 million release clause to his name and with interest at an all-time high for the defender, he could be on his way out if a bigger club comes calling.
True ✅ the decision of Dayot Upamecano is only between FC Bayern, Liverpool and Chelsea now @FCBayern @LFC @ChelseaFC
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) February 9, 2021
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has not shied away from expressing interest in signing Upamecano and a move from another German club to Bayern Munich is one that we have seen time and time again.
With David Alaba linked with Real Madrid and Chelsea, Bayern are in the market for a centre-back who could replace him. Jerome Boateng is also one who has been linked with Chelsea and should that be the case, Bayern will certainly need to reinforce their defensive contingent.
Chelsea have long had a desire to reinforce their defensive options and the Londoners have had their eyes on Upamecano for quite some time. Since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have been linked with a lot of defenders from the Bundesliga and they should not have much of a problem in meeting Upamecano’s release clause.
Thiago Silva has offered them short-term refuge, but with the crux of Chelsea’s squad being young, Upamecano would fit right in as they look to build a squad for the future. As for Liverpool, they have had their fair share of injuries this season and have struggled in the defensive phase.
The absence of Virgil van Dijk has not only seen Liverpool get exploited defensively, but also taken away a lot of freedom from Liverpool’s menacing full-backs. Despite the signing of Ozan Kaban and Ben Davies in the January transfer window, Liverpool need a long-term defensive signing to replace the injury-prone Joel Matip, making Upamecano a viable target.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have reportedly pulled out of the race for the Frenchman and Eric Bailly’s recent rise in form could be the reason. Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Bailly have proven that they are good enough at the moment and Manchester United may be interested in spending elsewhere.
With a lot of movement in the defensive department expected from Upamecano’s suitors, it could very well be narrowed down to who makes the first move and who offers the most lucrative deal. For now, Manchester United are out of this race, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern Munich hot on his trails.
