Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano as they address their defensive woes this summer.
Upamecano, 20, was part of the tightest defence in the Bundesliga last season, keeping five clean sheets in his 15 league appearances, before missing the second half of the campaign with a knee injury.
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Dayot Upamecano is wanted by Arsenal this summer
However, the prospect of Upamecano arriving at the Emirates took a huge setback after the Gunners’ failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Unai Emery’s men finished fifth in the Premier League standings, while they were thumped 4-1 by London rivals Chelsea on Wednesday night in the Europa League final – as they missed out on qualification by virtue of winning that competition.
Leipzig are desperate to keep hold of their highly-rated defender, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2021.
Below talkSPORT.com give an in-depth insight into all you need to know about Upamecano…
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How much is he likely to cost Arsenal?
The France Under-21 international has a release clause of £89million in his contract and RB Leipzig are thought to want a figure close to that.
The Gunners may need to raise funds by offloading the likes of Mesut Ozil, with reports claiming Emery will only have a transfer budget of £45million to rebuild his squad this summer.
Club career so far?
Upamecano is a youth product of Valenciennes FC, with his impressive progress there attracting the attention of a number of major European clubs at the time, including Manchester United.
The player’s agent, Thierry Martinez, revealed earlier this year that his client could have been a United player for just £2million in 2015, but claimed a move failed to materialise over broken promises.
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Upamecano, 20, has a release clause of £89m in his RB Leipzig contract
He eventually joined Red Bull Salzburg in July 2015 for a reported fee of £1.9million.
After an impressive 18-month spell in Austria, Upamecano sealed a £8.8 million move to RB Leipzig on a four-and-a-half year deal.
The defender has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the world in Germany, with Upamecano shortlisted for the 2018 Golden Boy award.
Dayot Upamecano - 2018/19
Bundesliga apperances – 15
Starts – 14
Clean sheets – 5
Tackles per game – 1.5
Interceptions per game – 2.2
Clearances per game – 2.9
Aerials won per game – 3.1
Pass success – 82.5 per cent
International experience?
Upamecano is yet to make his senior bow for France, but has featured in every age group up to that point.
He was part of the Under-16 team that finished third in the 2014 Aegean Cup, while he was an ever-present in his country’s UEFA European Under-17 Championship success a year later.
To date, Upamecano has made seven appearances for the Under-21s, with it surely only a matter of time before he makes his full international debut.
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Upamecano in action for France Under-21s against Slovenia
Where would he fit in at the Emirates?
Right at the heart of the Arsenal defence.
While their defensive deficiencies are going to take a long while to fix, the north London side need reinforcements and he’d slip into a starting role with ease.
Quiet and mellow behind the surface, Upamecano’s reading of the game and tough tackling nature have led to him being regarded as one of the best youngsters in the world.
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Upamecano is a powerful and quick defender
The dynamic defender also has pace to burn and enjoys getting forward when he can.
Leipzig’s youngest-ever Bundesliga player, Upamecano has the composure of a player far older than this years, while he also dispossesses a silky touch and excellent passing range.
Will the deal get done? You can follow all the latest news on talkSPORT.com’s daily transfer blog.
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