Bayern Munich push to secure long-term future of star defender

Bayern Munich have enjoyed great returns in the final third this season. Vincent Kompany’s system has got the best out of most Bayern forwards, which eventually helped them become the first team to score 50 goals across all competitions in Europe’s top five leagues.

Courtesy of attacking approach, Bayern have been vulnerable to counterattacks. The defeats against Aston Villa and Barcelona highlighted Die Roten’s primary weakness this season. However, the last five games have seen significant improvement in defense for Bayern.

They have kept five consecutive clean sheets before the start of the international break. Along with keeping the opposition quiet by dominating possession, Die Roten have also defended well on the break. Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae have also steadily improved as a defensive pairing for Bayern in the last few weeks.

Upamecano faced an uncertain future in the summer, but Kompany was eager to work with the French defender. He preferred keeping Upamecano over Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch defender ended up joining Manchester United in the summer.

Dayot Upamecano endured a mixed start to the campaign, but he managed to get rhythm in his performances over the last few weeks. According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern consider Upamecano to be part of their long-term plans. They want to open contract talks with the French defender in the coming weeks. His current deal expires in 2026.

Upamecano needs to remain consistent over the entire season

Bayern had beaten competition from several big clubs to sign Upamecano from RB Leipzig in 2021. The French center-back has been good in patches for Die Roten, but he ends up making mistakes in high-profile games.

Upamecano struggled to get back in the team during the second half of last season after a string of poor performances. He certainly has the traits to be a quality center-back, but Bayern needs to see him consistently be at his best. The French international is a senior defender in the squad, so consistency should be the norm for him. Bayern have to approach the contract extension carefully if Upamecano again endures a dip in form during the second half of the season.

In an ideal scenario, Bayern monitor Upamecano’s performances until the end of the season before offering him a contract extension.

Bayern are expected to be in the transfer market next summer for a center-back since Eric Dier will leave at the end of the season. Upamecano needs to be at his best for the rest of the season to make a convincing pitch for an extension, or else he will face the threat of getting replaced by a new center-back in the starting XI.