Arsenal £70m target urged to rethink as D-Day on future decision looms

Dayot.Upamecano.RB_.Leipzig.TEAMtalk

A top Arsenal target has been warned off making any hasty decisions about departing in a blockbuster move to the Emirates by his club’s sporting director.

The Gunners’ season has been plagued by underwhelming defending, with their lacklustre performances at the back a key factor behind their lowly ninth position in the Premier League.

The addition of David Luiz last summer did little to solve the club’s defensive woes, while youngster William Saliba was immediately loaned back to Ligue 1 in order to gain further experience.

A move for an experienced World Cup winning centre-half was recently touted, but one avenue the Gunners may seek to revisit this summer regards RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano.

The Frenchman, 21, is one of the fastest rising centre-halves in Europe, with his performances at the Bundesliga high-flyers attracting the attentions of Arsenal in previous windows.

Arsenal were initially put off by Leipzig’s lofty £70m valuation, but with just one year remaining on his current deal, the German outfit are expected to entertain offers for far less than that in order to avert the possibility of him leaving for free 12 months later.

However, Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche has called upon his star centre-half to rethink his exit plans, claiming the situation has “changed” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to German magazine Kicker (via the Sun), Krosche said: “This is a far-reaching decision for a player. He should take his time with that.

 

“He has to be clear about exactly what he is going to do, how he sees his future.

“Maybe that has changed a bit as a result of the new situation [coronavirus].”

The Sun report notes that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will hope to team him up with Saliba next year, with hopes high that the French duo can form a solid partnership that could last a decade, should Krosche’s words not resonate with Upamecano.

Meanwhile, Man Utd midfielder Jesse Lingard has revealed his intentions amid growing links over a switch to Arsenal.