Why Dayot Upamecano would be a smart long-term investment for Arsenal

According to a report from Football London, Arsenal have been linked with RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.

RB Leipzig had the best defence in the Bundesliga last season, and with Dayot Upamecano in the side, it’s not hard to see why. The Gunners watched the highly-rated defender feature for France’s Under-21s as they beat Belgium 3-0 in June.

However, a move to North London would mean dropping out of the Champions League to play Europa League football next season.

The German club are not thought to be keen on losing Dayot Upamecano, who still has two years remaining of his current deal with the club. But Arsenal must do everything to their powers to lure him away to the Emirates Stadium.

Unai Emery remains in the market for defensive reinforcements. The north London giants have had an impressive transfer window so far, with Emery’s side completing the signings of winger Nicolas Pepe, midfielder Dani Ceballos and defender William Saliba.

But Saliba has been loaned back to the Ligue 1 club Saint-Etienne for the season, while Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny could both leave before the transfer window closes and that would leave Emery short of options in central defence ahead of the new Premier League campaign. To solve his team’s defensive woes, signing Upamecano would be perfect.

Upamecano’s consistent performances for Leipzig have earned him a reputation as one of the brightest defensive talents in Germany, impressing with his brute strength, impressive turn of pace and reading of the game.

His solidity in defence coupled with his intimidating figure makes him quite dominant in the air and a threat from set-pieces. The Frenchman is a very good passer of the ball as well, capable of picking out forwards in the final third.

The 20-year-old will be a top addition to Arsenal, especially with the likes of Koscielny and Mustafi expected to leave this summer. He could come in and quickly established himself as the first-choice centre-back alongside Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

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The fact that Upamecano is technically sound as well as possesses physical qualities won’t make it difficult for him in adapting to the Premier League.

Verdict

The signing of a powerful and potentially world-class centre-back like Upamecano would certainly be the sort of statement that would get supporters, and Arsenal’s top-four rivals, sitting up and taking notice.

Available for a fee in the region of £30million, the young Frenchman would represent a massive coup for the Gunners.