Why Dayot Upamecano would be brilliant for Manchester United
The Mirror has reported that Manchester United are targeting RB Leipzig starlet Dayot Upamecano after rejecting the chance to sign him a little over four years ago. Dayot Upamecano, 20, was close to a deal with the Reds Devils back in 2015, but things fell out over a flat and the then 16-year-old centre-back moved to RB Salzburg and then RB Leipzig a few years later.
Since then, the Frenchman has established himself as one of the premier young defenders on the planet, with many considering him to be second only to Ajax star Matthias de Ligt. Now any move for Dayot Upamecano will need to be equal to or above his £88million release clause, with the 20-year-old in high demand.
Cool, calm and collected, the 6’1” centre-back is a unicorn in the footballing world. Not only is Dayot Upamecano blessed with strength and power but the 20-year-old is also rapid off the ground with a rather impressive 34.3km/hr top speed according to the Bundesliga.com.
However, it’s his defensive maturity that should attract Manchester United, and while Phil Jones makes jarring errors every other game, few players would be as perfect for the Red Devils as Upamecano.
The 20-year-old centre-back is a no-nonsense tackler, composed with the ball at his feet and loves spraying long-passes towards the attacking line. However, while this would suit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s style of play, the Norwegian manager isn’t a long-term option at the moment and thus a move for Upamecano may not be feasible.
But’s that’s the wrong school of thought, with the RB Leipzig star able to fit in any style of play that the footballing world has thrown at him this season alone. That’s exactly why he’s already made 73 appearances for Leipzig despite only signing for them back in the 2017 January transfer window.
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Within his first six months at Leipzig, Dayot Upamecano established himself as a regular member of their backline. The 20-year-old centre-back’s performances since then has made Manchester United look silly for not offering whatever he wanted four years ago, however, they can get another bite at the apple in summer.
A move is totally up to them, but with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and even Bayern Munich interested in Upamecano, the Red Devils will have to act fast.
