Arsenal have reportedly made a big-money bid for Dayot Upamecano, and the RB Leipzig man could be the perfect signing for the Gunners.
Although William Saliba was signed from Saint-Etienne earlier in the summer, he has been loaned back to the Ligue 1 club and will play his football in France this season.
However, it seems Arsenal are not resting on their laurels, with German news outlet Bild claiming that a huge €60 million offer has gone in – and subsequently been rejected – for Upamecano in the final week of the transfer window.
Read Arsenal’s verdict
Upamecano would simply be a brilliant signing. He has all the makings of a world-class defender and is among the brightest young talents in European football.
Leipzig would loathe losing the France Under-21 star; with Julian Nagelsmann at the helm, constructing a youthful team with a big future will be the approach of choice.
If Bild is to be believed, Arsenal’s offer worth €60 million was not exactly of temptation to the Bundesliga club, who are blessed with a plethora of quality young talent.
Upamecano’s release clause at Leipzig is currently set at €100 million, but this figure is reportedly set to drop by €20 million, indicating that the Gunners are not too far away from matching the financial demands required to prise him away from Germany.
Whether or not Arsenal would splash such a sum at this late stage in the window – particularly following the club-record signing of Nicolas Pepe from LOSC Lille – is uncertain. However, he would significantly improve the team’s defence, and it would be an investment both for the here and now and for the future.
Upamecano fits the profile of player that the Gunners must turn to in today’s market, and given his current quality and high ceiling, it would be one of the most important signings the club will have made in years.
