Darren Bent has admitted that he ‘couldn’t quite believe’ that Arsenal didn’t sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, as he told talkSPORT (16/08/20 at 2:50 pm).
The former striker claimed that going by recent Champions League performances if the much-sought-after, Kalidou Koulibaly, is worth ‘£90 million’ than Upamecano is ‘worth more’.
Bleacher Report claimed in July that Upamecano was on Arsenal’s wishlist, but he ended up putting pen-to-paper on a new deal at Leipzig last month.
Given Arsenal’s need for a new centre-back, Bent was surprised that the North London club didn’t push for his signature.
“He is a top-quality centre-half,” Bent told talkSPORT. “I couldn’t quite believe that Arsenal had the opportunity to sign someone of his stature and they missed out again.
“His performance the other night was absolutely superb against Atletico Madrid. He was dominant and he was good in the air.
“I know people spoke about Koulibaly and they are talking £90 million [to sign him]. But if you would have watched his performance the other night, you would have said he was worth more £90 million than Koulibaly was. But what a performance.”
Upamecano’s decision to sign a new contract only makes him more difficult to capture at a later date because Leipzig can now demand a bigger fee for his signature.
Plus, the German club are in the semi-finals of the Champions League, and if they shock the world by winning the whole competition, then it would only increase the value of their star players.
Either way, Upamecano is a rising star and one that may end up gracing England’s top-flight one day given his talents and the money in the Premier League.
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