RB Leipzig willing to sell Upamecano for around £40 million

We’re a couple of days away from the January transfer window opening for business, and while January’s window doesn’t see the same kind of activity the summer window brings, teams will always talk if the price is right.

Toby Alderweireld re-signing with Tottenham Hotspur has solved some of the mystery around the defense for Jose Mourinho, but there is still a need to improve as well as get younger, especially with the center backs. According to The Express, Spurs are going to battle with Arsenal for the services of RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.

Express Sport understands that the Gunners and Spurs are willing to meet Leipzig’s whopping £50million valuation for Upamecano ahead of the January transfer window to strengthen their respective defences as they eye a top-four finish.

The centre-back has been outstanding at Leipzig over the past couple of seasons in the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League and has also been targeted by Manchester City.

Arsenal have been chasing Upamecano since at least the summer and made a sizable bid for the French defender, but were pointed to the £92m release clause if they wanted to purchase him. Leipzig currently sit at the top of the Bundesliga and are chasing Upamecano’s eventual replacement, Tanguy Kouassi, a 17-year-old defender who is currently in the Paris Saint-Germain youth system.

Le Parisien have a report as well out there, stating that a bid of as low as £40 million might get the deal done, though the report has not hit the internet just yet. As expected, the conflicting information is reason to give pause on this deal happening in January. With Leipzig making a push to win the Bundesliga for the first time in their short history and the eventual Round of 16 matchup with Tottenham in the Champions League, it’s hard to see Leipzig allowing this to happen unless the deal is incredible.

For now, we’ll pay attention to this but I’m sure Daniel Levy wants to solve the Christian Eriksen drama first before looking at trying to negotiate a deal of this size.