Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly joining the race for Dayot Upamecano.
Tottenham Hotspur may need to re-tool their defence in 2020, with two centre backs seemingly heading towards the exit door.
Belgian duo Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are both of contract at the end of the season, and currently look unlikely to stay put with the club.
That would leave Davinson Sanchez, Juan Foyth and Japhet Tanganga as the natural centre backs at the club, and Mauricio Pochettino appears to be eyeing a new addition.
Bleacher Report claim that Tottenham have an interest in signing RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, but other Premier League clubs are allegedly keen too.
Upamecano, 21, has been emerging as one of Europe’s top young centre backs in recent years, earning praise as a real powerhouse defender, and he would be able to strike a potentially excellent partnership with Sanchez.
However, news of Tottenham considering a move for Upamecano should spark Arsenal into life, given that they made a move to sign the Frenchman over the summer.
Bild reported in August that Arsenal offered around €60million (£51million) for Upamecano, but Leipzig rejected the bid, seemingly determined to keep hold of their young defender.
Arsenal clearly felt strongly about Upamecano over the summer, and they surely can’t afford to stand by and allow their biggest rivals to swoop in and pinch him away.
David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos aren’t long-term answers for Arsenal, and the prospect of pairing up Upamecano with fellow Frenchman William Saliba in years to come should be enough to tempt Arsenal into a move.
Whether Spurs can tempt Leipzig into selling themselves remains to be seen, but Arsenal can’t go from offering £50million for a top young defender to watching him join Tottenham, so in order to build a defence for years to come, they need to get back in for Upamecano in 2020.
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