Arsenal reportedly want to sign RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga powerhouse Upamecano but Europa League football will restrict Unai Emery’s budget.
Arsenal want to sign Dayot Upamecano this summer but ESPN points out that the RB Leipzig defender has little interest in playing in the Europa League.
The Gunners’ defensive deficiencies were brutally exposed once again in the Europa League final in Baku on Wednesday night with Unai Emery’s side ripped to pieces by an Eden Hazard-inspired Chelsea during the second half, losing 4-1 to their London rivals.
As a result, Arsenal will be playing in Europe’s second-tier competition again next season with their failure to secure Champions League qualification likely to restrict Emery’s transfer budget to around £45 million, according to Goal.
This could price Arsenal out of a deal for the highly-rated Upamecano, who himself appears to have reservations about swapping Leipzig for North London.
The Frenchman is set to play Champions League football in 2019/20 after Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga so why would he throw this away in favour of a move to the Emirates?
The 20-year-old, who is under contract until 2021, was a key part of a Leipzig defence who conceded fewer goals than any other Bundesliga side last season.
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