It’s officially official. Dayot Upamecano has signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich that will keep him at the club through June 2030 on a salary of roughly €20m with a release clause in the new deal for €65m. This extends his stay from June 2027, which was when his old contract was set to expire. A decision being reached and agreed upon marks the end of what was a great deal of negotiating between the club, the player, and his representatives, but a statement of intent nonetheless from the club, especially
with how much Upamecano has grown into a key player at the club at the heart of defense ever since his move from RB Leipzig.
Of course, the longer the negotiations went on between Bayern and Upamecano, there was growing concern that the French international might decide to go elsewhere during the summer transfer window, especially since some of European’s footballing giants were showing interest in him; most notably, Real Madrid. Still, Upamecano has remained consistent on the pitch and has been fully focused on his football with Bayern and now all of the speculation can be put to bed.
In his official club release for the extension announcement, Upamecano spoke about how he maintains the right personality to push himself and be a team player that’s always willing to fight for his teammates. Growing up in Évreux, France, spending a lot of time playing football on the street cage pitches has helped mold his character and mindset into what it is today. “For me, mentality is the most important thing for a football player – to always keep going. In my mind, I always want to keep going no matter what happens on the outside. I’m always focused on myself and giving 100% in training and in games. I’m now 27 and feel very strong mentally,” the center-back explained (via @iMiaSanMia).
He’s formed a formidable partnership with center back Jonathan Tah in the middle of Bayern’s backline, but the understanding with other players in the squad let alone in defense is just as solid and equally as important. Under Vincent Kompany, there’s been noticeably strong chemistry amongst the squad, which is something Upamecano knows is key. “I fight for every player in our team. We’re not playing Tennis. Football means we have to fight together, that’s what Mia san mia means. We’re always together and we fight for every player on the pitch,” he stressed.
With the interest from other clubs in Europe amid the contract extension negotiations at Bayern, it could’ve been very easy for Upamecano’s head to have been turned, but he knows he’s made the right decision with him in the end to extend his stay at Bayern. In a moment of self-reflection, the Frenchmen was asked what message he would want to send himself once his playing career is done, to which he replied, “I’d say, Upa you can be happy. You’ve always given everything no matter what happened. You have to keep going. I hope you win many titles in your career.
