Bayern Munich and French international centre half Dayot Upamecano is out of contract at the end of the season and while the German club continue to suggest they remain hopeful that a new deal is possible for the 27-year-old, there is a general belief that he is most likely to join Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer.
Those rumours are part of a larger ecosystem involving soon to be out of contract centre halves, which itself is an ecosystem that includes Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté. Konaté is also
a rumoured Madrid target, though the rise of Upamecano chatter has coincided with increasing suggestions he could end up staying at Liverpool.
There have also been claims Liverpool hold interest in Upamecano, which would seem to make sense if Konaté were to end up at Madrid after all. And, of course, there’s the part where Bayern would still like to not lose their defensive stalwart and haven’t given up on that. All of which are things Upamecano was asked about.
“My agent is taking care of it,” was his rebuff when pressed on the issue of his future while away with the French national team this week. “We will make the right decision, and I’m receiving good advice. So I am just focused on this season and my goals with the club and with the national team. I don’t have headspace for the rest.”
From a Liverpool perspective, everything is perhaps made more complicated by their struggles so far to impress in Arne Slot’s second season and a major summer overhaul that saw more than £400M invested in an effort to give the manager a squad that could defend the Premier League title and make a push for European glory.
The situation has led to chatter that another centre half target, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi, could end up at elsewhere—potentially even joining Manchester City—after his deadline day move to the Reds fell apart at the last minute. With Konaté in particular struggling this season, it also potentially complicates his future.
