Dayot Upamecano has made his ‘demands’ clear to Bayern Munich amid interest from Liverpool manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes, according to a report, with Real Madrid also eyeing a move for the central defender next summer.
Although Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma in the summer transfer window, the defending Premier League champions are on the hunt for a new centre-back. Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season, with Real Madrid keen on the Frenchman, while Virgil van Dijk is 34 now and will need to be replaced at some point in the near future.
TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has reported that Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is Liverpool’s top defender target.
Guehi came close to signing for Liverpool on the final day of the summer transfer window and is out of contract at Palace next summer.
Like Guehi, Upamecano will also become a free agent at the end of the season, as things stand right now.
The 26-year-old France international is out of contract at defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
Upamecano has emerged as a target for Liverpool, according to Bild, with manager Slot and sporting director Hughes eyeing a bargain signing next summer.
There is interest in Upamecano from Real Madrid as well, according to the report, which backs Marca’s claim from September 21.
Sports Boom has now brought an update on Upamecano’s situation, claiming the huge demands that the defender is making amid interest from Liverpool and Madrid.
According to the report, although talks between Upamecano’s camp and Bayern are going on, the defender’s wage ‘demands are a potential stumbling block’.
Not only does the Frenchman want ‘a significant wage increase’ to match the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala, but Upamecano also wants a release clause of £125million (€143m, $167.5m) in his contract.
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Liverpool were told to sign Dayot Upamecano in 2021
Upamecano has been on the books of Bayern since 2021 and has won the Bundesliga title three times with the Bavarian giants.
The defender, who won the UEFA Nations League in 2020/21 with France, has made 159 appearances for Bayern so far in his career, scoring five goals and giving 10 assists in the process.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl has publicly made it clear that the club want the defender to stay.
Eberl told SkySport: “We’re having open discussions, especially with Dayot Upamecano. It’s no big secret that we have a strong desire to extend his contract.”
This is not the first time that Upamecano has been linked with a move to Liverpool.
Back in January 2021, when Jurgen Klopp was in charge, former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch urged the Reds to sign Upamecano, amid long-term injuries to Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk at the time.
Crouch told talkSPORT at the time: “Everyone in football can see that they need a centre-half. You’d think they would bring someone in before the deadline,
“But we can’t criticise Liverpool’s transfer policy. It’s been unbelievable over the past couple of years, the players they’ve brought in and have improved.
“If it’s not the correct centre-half they won’t bring him in and the policy has gone well so far.
“There are so many top centre-halves out there. Upamecano is a top centre-half, I think he’s one of the best in Europe. He’s the best one out there if they can possibly get him.”
Latest Liverpool news: Marc Guehi move, Van Dijk replacement
Upamecano is not the only player that Liverpool and Real Madrid are competing for.
A Mexico international is also on the radar of Liverpool and Real Madrid, with Los Blancos said to be his ‘preferred destination, as Manchester United also circle.
Like Upamecano, Marc Guehi will also become a free agent next summer, with the England international centre-back out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season.
Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, the chances of Liverpool raiding Palace for Guehi in January following the long-term injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have identified a Juventus defender as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
While Van Dijk remains a key player for Liverpool, the Anfield bosses are aware that they need to find a long-term successor to the Netherlands international central defender.