RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff says he believes Dayot Upamecano will be staying put this summer, hinting that the centre-back could agree similar terms to those signed by Timo Werner 12 months before the striker's move to Chelsea.
Upamecano was one of Europe's leading central defenders in 2019/20 as Leipzig came up short in the Bundesliga title race. Leipzig finished with the second defence in the division, and conceded just 33 goals in the 28 games started by the 21-year-old.
They have a place in the Champions League quarter-finals to look forward to in August, having brushed aside Spurs in the round of 16, but there have been fears Upamecano could depart before then. Manchester City considered a January offer, while Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United are among his options.
Mintzlaff, however, is laid back about the future of one of his prized assets, saying that he is 'confident' of securing his long-term future, despite his contract expiring in less than 12 months.
"I assume that he will also play for us next season," he said, as per bulinews.com. "We are in good talks to find a solution to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer next year."
Leipzig agreed a deal with Timo Werner last summer that saw the striker agree to stay at the club for the 2019/20 season, with the agreement that he would be allowed to depart for a set price down the line. That resulted in Werner scoring 34 goals in all competitions before securing a move to Chelsea, and Mintzlaff is confident of reaching a similar compromise with Upamecano.
"It worked out with Timo Werner, and I assume that we will do our homework with regard to Dayot as well," he said.
Things seem to have changed since May, when the word out of the club was less confident. Director Markus Krösche said then that the player 'isn't about to sign anything, neither here nor anywhere else' when asked about his contract situation.
90min revealed back in April that Arsenal had expressed an interest in Upamecano's services, but the player was left unimpressed by their proposal, owing to their likely lack of Champions League football and meagre financial pull.
He is believed to have a release clause in the region of €60m as things stand, though there is some confusion over whether that has expired.
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Source : 90min