Bayern sporting director Salihamidzic confirms Upamecano deal

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Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed to German publication Bild that the club have reached an agreement over the signing of Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig this summer.

The 22-year-old defender has been on the radar of a number of top clubs cross Europe, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, but the Bavarians have obviously beaten all of them to his services. Asked whether he could confirm that the deal had been struck, Salihamidzic said: “I can, and we are very happy about that at FC Bayern.”

The contract binding the three-time France international to Leipzig runs until the summer of 2023, but having agreed personal terms with him, Bayern are now expected to activate the release clause set therein, reportedly amounting to €42.5 million.

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Upamecano joined Leipzig in January 2017 from their sister club RB Salzburg, where he spent a year and a half after arriving from the youth setup of French club Valenciennes. He started 19 of the 21 Bundesliga games his club have played this term so far, missing out on the 3-0 win over Freiburg in November through a muscle injury and sitting the 2-1 win over Augsburg on Friday out on the bench. His only goal of the season came in the 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin in October.

Apart from his age and the consequent potential resale value, what attracts the attention of the big clubs is mostly his mature approach to defending and a composure on the ball which makes him well-suited for playing out from the back.

At Bayern, he is likely seen as the perfect replacement for David Alaba, who is set to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.