Manchester United continue to push for French defender amid stalling contract negotiations

Christian Falk provides an update on Manchester United target Dayot Upamecano

Manchester United keep monitoring several defensive options as they plan another squad rebuild next summer. The club’s search for a commanding centre-back has led them to a familiar name, Dayot Upamecano.

His future at Bayern Munich now looks uncertain because the defender and the German champions have hit a roadblock in contract talks. Christian Falk revealed that the talks broke down because they disagreed over a signing fee. This issue has already strained Bayern’s wage structure.

Falk said both sides agreed on Upamecano’s basic salary. However, the defender created a major gap by demanding a signing bonus. The situation mirrors Alphonso Davies’ renewal, where he reportedly earned around £17 million to £19 million as a signing fee.

Upamecano knows about that deal and expects the same treatment. Bayern now face financial pressure, and the board want to cut the overall wage bill by 20 per cent. This decision stops them from justifying another big payout, even for one of their main defenders.

If the dispute continues, Upamecano may explore his options as a free agent. Falk confirmed that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Liverpool have already shown interest in the French defender. These clubs can easily meet his financial expectations. Upamecano may no longer see staying at Bayern as realistic.

“There is a kind of agreement between Bayern and Upamecano about a base salary, as he’s going to be a free agent in the summer, but there is always a signing fee! And the signing fee is a problem in these talks.”

“You have Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich, and he was in the same situation last year. The Canadian got a lot of money, we heard around €20m-22m [£17.4m-19.1m], just for the signing fee! Upamecano, of course, knows about this and has been asking, “What about my signing fee?”

“If he goes to another club like Liverpool, he will get a signing fee as a free agent. Real Madrid and PSG are also interested. So, this is really difficult for Bayern as the wage bill for the team is already quite high, and there’s a target in place to lower this by 20% for the whole team. This makes things really difficult.

“I heard the difference between what Bayern Munich want to pay and what Upamecano wants is still very, very big.”

His situation shows how top players reconsider their positions when the club reshapes its finances. United, who keep struggling with defensive inconsistency and constant injuries this season, could benefit from this situation. We reported earlier that Manchester United entered the race for Dayot Upamecano as Bayern contract talks stalled. The scenario now clearly leans in their favour.

Why Upamecano could fix United’s fragile defence