Dayot Upamecano: 6 Things to Know About the €60m Arsenal Target

​With Laurent Koscielny on his way out of Arsenal, there have been a number of names linked with taking his place at the Emirates Stadium - the most recent of which is RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano.

Rumours of a big-money bid from the Gunners have emerged, but not everyone is too familiar with the 20-year-old.

Here are six things you need to know about Upamecano.


He Has Been in the Limelight for Years

Dayot Upamecano

Learning of ​Arsenal's interest won't come as too much of a surprise to Upamecano, who has been tracked by pretty much every team on the planet for years.

​Manchester United and ​Bayern Munich have pursued him in the past, whilst even Arsenal are thought to have tracked him previously, when he would have been a lot cheaper.

Upamecano's high potential comes as little surprise, and there could be a few more heavy hitters involving themselves in the situation if he becomes available.


Arsenal Aren't One of His 'Dream' Clubs

Jadon Malik Sancho,Dayot Upamecano

Unfortunately for Arsenal, Upamecano appeared to overlook them when he was asked about his future ambitions.

He told ​Telefoot that he dreams of joining Manchester United, ​Barcelona or ​Real Madrid​, adding that he plans to work hard to earn himself a move to one of those clubs in the near future.

That interview was back in 2018, so maybe things have changed now?


He's Insanely Quick

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

​It doesn't take a genius to work out Upamecano's strengths. He's tall, he's strong and he boasts the kind of speed which most centre backs can only dream of.

In fact, back in 2017, the ​Bundesliga revealed on their ​website that Upamecano had actually clocked a top speed faster than current Gunners star ​Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and he has even used that agility to catch up with the Gabonese international during a match - something which Bundesliga fans still rave about to this day.

That's fast. That's really, really fast. 


He Loves Playing With the Ball at His Feet

Dayot Upamecano

Modern centre backs need to be comfortable on the ball, and Upamecano certainly fits the bill here.

His speed and defensive awareness help him recover possession with ease, but that's just the beginning for Upamecano. The Frenchman will always look to pick out a pass and rarely settles for a simple ball to his centre back partner.

Instead, he is comfortable stepping up into midfield, dribbling past players before involving himself in the attack. It's a very similar style to Barcelona wonderkid Frenkie de Jong, who made waves across Europe with his tendency to drift between the lines.​


He Looks Up to Raphael Varane

FBL-ESP-LIGA-REAL MADRID-BILBAO

France have a ridiculous number of supremely talented centre backs, of which ​Raphael Varane is arguably the best. Understandably, that's not news to Upamecano.

He told ​UEFA"I watch Varane a lot and definitely try to learn from him, but I don't want to play exactly like him. Players have to find their own style if they are going to be remembered."


Comparisons to the ​Real Madrid star are clear to see right now, but it seems as though Upamecano does not want to be seen as 'The Next Varane'. He wants to play his own game and earn his place in history.


He Has Worked Hard to Reach This Point

U18 Germany v U18 France - International Friendly

He may be a real talent right now, but that wasn't always the case for Upamecano - just ask his former coach Romain Bultel.

Bultel, who worked with a 14-year-old Upamecano at Evreux, ​said"He wasn't a natural talent; the abilities he has now weren't there when he came to us. He worked hard and listened. He even worked with us outside of training, practising ball control, working on his speed and tactical aspects of the game. That's how he continually overcame that initial deficit."


The Frenchman clearly has the hunger to be a success in football, and he has proven he only wants to learn and improve. He's every manager's dream.



Source : 90min