Robbie Walls
Manchester United and Liverpool are set to fight it out for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, the 22-year-old seemingly certain to leave the Bundesliga side this summer.
The French international has emerged as one of the most sought after centre-backs in world football, with his performances in the Champions League, in particular, catching the eye of a number of Europe’s elite.
The central defender was integral as Julien Nagelsmann’s side reached the semi-final’s of the competition last season, while he also helped the club progress to the knockout stages this term, at the expense of Manchester United.
The former Red Bull Salzburg man didn’t have a particularly good game against United at Old Trafford in the 5-0 thrashing on matchday two of the Champions League, yet his willingness to drive forward with the ball looks to be a real asset, as well as his impressive recovery speed and ability on the ball.
Such attributes have made him a key transfer target for a handful of top clubs, the Daily Mail reporting that Premier League rivals Liverpool and United are set to fight it out for his signature.
As has been well reported, Upamecano has a £38m release clause in his current contract which can be activated this summer, a fact that has alerted a number of clubs who are looking to snap up a top class defender for a bargain price.
The young defender would seemingly be an ideal partner for Red Devils captain Harry Maguire, with both Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof struggling to truly nail down that second centre-back position.
As for Jurgen Klopp’s side, while they are in desperate need of a new centre-back addition in this window, they may be willing to wait until the summer to sign the Leipzig man, with the German club unlikely to sell this month.
The Frenchman would likely slot in alongside key man Virgil Van Dijk next season, with both Joe Gomez and Joel Matip struggling for regular game time due to persistent injury issues.
The two English clubs will not be alone in their pursuit of the defender, with Bayern Munich one of the other notable interested sides.
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