Bayern Munich has already one eye on the summer transfer window. The German Champions always focuses on doing the majority of the transfer business in the summer early to avoid getting into bidding wars and allow new players a good amount of time to settle into new surroundings.
Central defense is going to be the key area for Bayern next summer due to a couple of departures. Going by the recent reports from Germany, the German Champions has started laying the groundwork for the next big center-back signing.
According to SportBild, Bayern held conversations with Dayot Upamecano’s representatives this week regarding a summer move. Upamecano is represented by the same agency that also looks after Niklas Sule and Adrian Fein, but this meeting was solely regarding the future of Upamecano.
After the 4-1 win against Hoffenheim on Saturday, Bayern Sporting Director Hasan Salihamidzic also confirmed that they held talks with Upamecano’s agents. He didn’t give further details about the extent of talks, but this is a huge hint that Bayern remain confident about signing Upamecano.
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Last week, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had publicly declared the club’s interest in signing Upamecano. This week’s developments may suggest that Bayern is taking the right steps to beat the competition from Europe’s elite for the signature of the young French defender.
It is going to be a straightforward deal in terms of the transfer fee. Upamecano has a set release clause worth €42 million in his contract at Leipzig that will become active in the upcoming summer transfer window. This fee is fair for one of the most talented young central defenders in Europe, so the key to unlocking this deal is convincing the player and his agents that Bavaria is the right destination to take his game to the next level.
The German Champions are going to part ways with David Alaba in the summer transfer window. Alaba is reportedly negotiating a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid. The Frenchman is not as versatile as Alaba in the back four, but he has the potential to be one of the best central defenders in the world.
Moreover, the future of Jerome Boateng is also uncertain. The German defender has also entered the final six months of his current deal. Upamecano may well be the long-term replacement of Boateng since both are pure center-backs. It is far from certain at the moment that Upamecano is destined to join Die Roten, but the signs are positive as the club officials are publicly admitting interest and initiating talks with the player’s entourage.