Arsenal have been linked with the RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano from as far back as November last year as there have always been concerns about the poor quality of the Gunners defence.
Now it would appear that they are finally closing in on their long term target, as the Express his reporting that a price has been agreed with the high-flying German side, which I’m guessing to mean that we just need to sort out personal terms before Upamecano signs on the dotted line.
The Express report stated:
Man Utd lose transfer battle to Arsenal as Mikel Arteta agrees fee with RB Leipzig
Manchester United had been one of several teams linked with a move to sign Dayot Upamecano
Arsenal have reportedly won the battle to sign Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig with a fee already being agreed. The 21-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting prospects due to his performances at the back for Leipzig.
So, if this report is true, then Arsenal should hopefully have a much improved defence ahead of next season, with William Saliba also coming back from his year long loan at St Etienne.
The big problem for Arteta will now be to move on some of his existing defenders, as right now we have a long list of sitting candidates for the centre-back position in Mustafi, Pablo Mari, Sokratis, Holding and Luiz, not to mention the young Greek Mavropanos who is set to return from FC Nürnberg this summer. That is surely far too many for a team that isn’t in the Champions League.
But it is a fact that our ‘goals against’ column has been far too high in recent years so we can only welcome Upamecano and hope he makes our back line formidable once more….
Can only hope this is true as we haven’t had a formidable pairing at the back for a while now and these two could be the answer for years to come.
Good news to start the day but our weakness lies in our midfield, if we get Partey then we are sorted out.AMN, Willock, ESR, Guendozi.Next season get a top draw CAM and we can challenge in the 21-22 season.By that time the disruptive influencers would be out of the club by then.
Who would you bring in for the CAM role to learn under Ozil a season before he goes?
Rowe can, especially that he looks a natural left foot user.
Pray that this is true and that they can get his personal terms settled quickly.
Upamecano and Saliba together would give Arsenal the solid spine at centerback that the club has not had for many years. Add Mari, Mavropanos and Chambers and you have the makings of a young, athletic, mobile centerback corps that should be a strength for several years. Keep Luiz for a year to add some experience to the group.
Sokratis and Mustafi get sold for whatever Arsenal can get for them. Unfortunately, with Chambers sidelined and likely to require time to regain his form once he does return, Holding is the “odd man out” and will also have to be sold.
Why sell Holding and not Chambers?
First, it is much harder to sell an injured player than a healthy one and the return for a healthy player will be higher as well. While Chambers will have recovered from his surgery and be able to resume playing somewhere around Christmas time, that doesn’t mean that he will be physically and mentally able to play at the same level as he did before surgery at that point in time. It can take a top-flight athlete a year or more after being cleared to play to regain his previous form: both Holding and Hector Bellerin are examples of this. Arsenal won’t be able to sell Chambers for full value until he regains his form. Holding is closer to doing that and it will be easier for Arsenal to sell him than Chambers.
Second, Arteta doesn’t seem to rate Holding very highly. He has had opportunities to play Holding and has not done so. If Arteta isn’t going to play him, that makes Holding surplus baggage, especially once Upamecano and Saliba join the team. So, why keep Holding on the payroll? Sell him for whatever price other teams may be willing to pay. Holding is still young and that he should fetch a decent return.
Finally, while Holding is still trying to come back from his devastating injury, he is still young and has the quality to start for a lot of clubs. And, he is going to want to play, not sit on the bench. Once Upamecano and Saliba join the team, however, at Arsenal Holding would be, at best, the fourth choice centerback and, with Arteta already reluctant to give him any playing-time, probably not even that. That being the case, it’s highly likely that Holding will want to move on to a club where he will have a better chance to play regularly. Sell him now or sell him later, why not sell him now when the club needs every bit of money it can raise to improve the quality of the team?
If Arsenal can find buyers for Mustafi, Sokratis and Holding, the three of them together might fetch enough to pay for Partey’s release clause. Partey will make Arsenal stronger, the three surplus centerbacks won’t.
I like your reasoning!
brilliant reasoning
Good deal Harry
are you kidding? If he arrives and you add Saliba, Mari and Thierney we will have an amazing defence of speed and power for 10 years to come. If we can sell Belerin, Sokratis, Mustafi, and Lacazette, will will have enough money for him and Partey plus another striker. BLIMEY !!!!!!
Whatever happens, it will be wise to keep the pair of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. I am actually SHOCKED to see comments backing the sale of the duo especially Lacazette who’s younger! He had form and injury setbacks but scores GREAT goals. Upamecano, Luiz, Mari, Saliba, Holding and Sokratis to stay; Mavropanos for a loan stint with clause to recall; then sell Mustafi and Chambers. Then, you will get a mix of experience and youthful central defence.
Arsenal should not sell Bellerin under any circumstances unless he wants to leave.
Before he was injured, Bellerin was already a world-class right back and on his way to being one of the five best at his position. It isn’t easy to find a player of that quality at any position and, if you have one, you don’t sell him unless you have to.
Yes, I know that Bellerin has struggled since returning from his surgery. However, even after a top-flight athlete is cleared to resume playing after the kind of ACL surgery that Bellerin had, it can take 12-18 months before he is physically and mentally able to regain his pre-injury form. While some players never regain their pre-injury form, many now do. The fact that Bellerin recently has shown flashes of his pre-injury form indicates that he is on his way to doing so.
Having seen Bellerin through his comeback from a serious ACL injury, it would be foolish for Arsenal to sell a player of his quality now, just at the point where he is regaining his pre-injury form. This is the time to stick with him and give him a chance to return to being the world-class right back that he was before. Whatever the result, Arsenal will get a better return if they have to sell him afterwards if they do. Selling him now would be like selling stocks at their lowest price rather than waiting for the price to go up… which all indications are it will in Bellerin’s case.
That’s a great news for today.
Pray the report should be true sha…..
Please this is true. If so well done Arsenal for getting him 👏👏
Saliba comes into Join him along with a young back up in Mavraponas (please we keep him or loan, no sell)
Leaves Holding, Chambers, Papa, Mustafi to leave, I’m thinking the latter 2 are sold to bring in some money for Upamecano expense. I think David Luiz should stay, what an asset to be able to pass like that from the back, reckless at times yes but experienced in PL. Maria could stay which would be great too…
Not a bad problem to have. Now let’s see about what’s going to happen with Laca, Auba and Saka contract wise. Pepe will come good, Martinelli is good and getting better so leaves the midfield to tinker with…
Thomas Partey. Alot of rumours regarding him coming to Arsenal and tbh I’d have him in a heartbeat beside Lucas (dont know if he is staying either, apparently wants back to italy). If these are the players we are looking at then Arsenal really are being serious for a change and I’m all for it.
Nice news to wake upto this morning
Not excited, hasn’t greatly impressed me in the Bundesliga and will take a couple of years to adjust to the premier league. Likewise Saliba, both unlikely to really be of use for three to four years.
Meanwhile Chambers and Holding should be our main central pairing.
I think in Holding, Chambers, Saliba we have some good CBS to count on. Even if this Upamecano guys joins, we have to keep the three and loan out Mavropanos.
Not going to get too excited by these reports, have seen too many ‘ definitely signed ‘ headlines which haven’t materialised. Only believe it when announced officially by the club.
would be great but i’ll wait till its on Arsenal.com
I think it’s a good news, let’s have Mari, Holding, Cendric, Tierney, Saliba, Umpayamenco, Bellerin, Saka, Luiz, for defence offload the rest defender
Then in midfield we have Torreira, Gendouzi, Partey, Xhaka, Ceballos, Nelson, Willock, Smith-Rows, Ozil, Coutinho, and Fraser
Then attack we have Aubemeyang, Pepe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Lacazette, J. Kluivert, Jovic and Dembele
It’s really gonna be harder to win us and it will send a message to our rivals about us couple with Our head Coach of Arteta, Metersecker, Lumberg, Pires and Santi if he joins
Then our board of Edu and Wenger it’s really gonna make sense
Just wish we can be like this next season
Best signing for a decade if true. Party in midfield and then we’re fighting for prem, definitely will get back to cl. At very least.
For CDM position we are apparently sniffing around a lad who plays for Espanyol. Name is Roca. He is touted as the new Busquet. And more importantly would be cheaper than Partey.
One common problem I have identified with our managers , be it is WENGER , EMERY , FREDDIE or ARTETA is that they fail to read players on overall performances in the field . Had it been not so , MAVRAPANOS should have been a regular in the team by now .
My suggestion is to sell , HOLDING , CHAMBERS , MUSTAFI .
If we buy UPAMECANO , then we will have 3 young talented defenders who can be mixed with 3 experienced CB s .
So , SALIBA , MAVRO ,UPA , SOKRATIS , MARI & LUIZ will be our CBs .
SOKRATIS can be used as RB & LUIZ as second choice LB too .
From yesterday’s story saying we have had a bid accepted, The Express are reporting today the total opposite story that we are not signing Upamecano but looking at someone else instead. Always thought it was just clickbait paper talk.
If we can have Dayot Upamecano, saliba and mari then we shall be formidable at the back line. If we can add a winger and an attacking midfielder like coutinio then we shall be formidable in all areas. i am in Uganda, East Africa.
We’ve been linked with Draxler today ….again. He could be our De Bruyne is how it goes.
I’d like to see us getting Thomas Partey, but if we do go on to sign him then we may need to sell before bringing in a second semi expensive newcomer, mainly because of the wage issue.
Upa, I’ve only ever seen his highlights along with just the one full performance, but he has a lot of admirers, and if Arteta wants him, then I’d have to be confident enough that he could be a really good one.