Director drops big hint Arsenal-linked £53m ‘huge player’ could move in the summer

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Reported Arsenal target Dayot Upamecano could potentially be on the move this summer, with RB Leipzig managing director Oliver Mintzlaff saying his side’s top players will not be leaving for free.

Upamecano is one of the most sought-after defenders in world football at the moment and the fact his contract expires at the end of the 2020-21 season makes him even more appealing to potential suitors.

According to Bild, the 21-year-old is available for around £53million in the summer transfer window and so far he has refused to extend his current deal with RB Leipzig, with Arsenal said to be keen on the centre-back after previously failing to sign him.

In October last year, the Gunners were deemed to be frontrunners for the Frenchman’s signature along with AC Milan (Calciomercato), but since then, numerous other clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham, have been linked with his services (The Mirror).

Upamecano is also said to be on the wishlists of both Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, both clubs reportedly interested in bolstering their defensive ranks this summer (Sky Sports).

“We know the terms of our players’ contracts and I know them very well – especially that of our top performers,” Mintzlaff told Sport1, as quoted by the Evening Standard.

“For us, it is a no go that the top performers will be allowed to leave our club free of charge. That’s the case with Timo Werner and that will be the case with Dayot Upamecano. I have the economic stability of the club in mind.”

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Aside from the plaudits sent Upamecano’s way – Lothar Matthaus has called him a “huge player” – the France Under-21 defender’s displays have often spoken for themselves, in particular his shutout of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski in the goalless draw between the two sides earlier this year.

A big, strong centre-back with explosive pace and superb reading of the game, it’s unsurprising to see the Premier League’s top sides all linked with him, and given how much interest there seems to be in him, not to mention the fact he isn’t expected to let his contract run down, there could well be a bidding war this summer.