The Red Devils are desperate to add some pace and steel to their defence following their abysmal opening day defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Upamecano is highly touted as one of the best young defenders in the Bundesliga and could be targeted before the transfer window closes on October 5.
(Image credit: PA Images)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were heavily criticised for the 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday, with his defence coming under particular flak. Victor Lindlof gave away the penalty which led to Palace doubling their lead and was then easily shrugged aside as Wilfred Zaha completed his hat-trick to seal a 3-1 win in the second half.
Lindelof has been an inconsistent presence in the United backline since joining from Benfica in 2017, and has frequently lost his place in the team to Eric Bailly - another player not fully trusted by the manager and fans.
Harry Maguire, Manchester United's captain and the only current centre-back guaranteed a place in the starting XI, lacks pace and Upamecano is seen as the potential solution to that problem.
The Frenchman is one of the quickest defenders in world football and has been a rock at the heart of Leipzig's defence since joining from sister-club Salzburg in 2017. His heading ability and reading of the game are also much improved in recent seasons and his physicality is seen as an ideal fit for Premier League football.
Upamecano, who has also been capped twice for France, has made 115 appearances for Leipzig and can also play right-back when required. It is believed a bid in the region of £50m would be required to lure him to English football.
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Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
