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Manchester United have reportedly leapfrogged Liverpool to become the leading contenders to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.
The 22-year-old is already being hailed as one of the best defenders in Europe and has been monitored by several top European clubs apart from Manchester United and Liverpool.
Dayot Upamecano has become an integral part of RB Leipzig's defence over the past few years. Currently playing his 5th season for the Bundesliga side, he has made 137 appearances for the club and has risen to prominence due to his solidity at the back.
The former Valenciennes player also made his first-ever appearance for France last year and went on to play 3 matches for Les Bleus in the calendar year.
Aged just 22, Upamecano and his performances have caught the eye of several clubs, including Liverpool. The Reds were considering him as a replacement for the injured Virgil van Dijk, whose return date is still very much uncertain.
Liverpool have seemingly struggled in the Dutchman's absence in defence and currently sit 4th on the Premier League table - 6 points off the top.
While signing reinforcements may seem like the first order of business, Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that they will not be venturing into the transfer market in this window owing to a pandemic-influenced financial hit.
Liverpool's inability to make a move for Dayot Upamecano may see Manchester United snap him up, as per reports from The Sun.
The Red Devils have reportedly been looking to strengthen their defence and are now understood to be leading the race for Upamecano, having allegedly scouted him extensively for many months.
The report further suggests that Manchester United came close to signing Upamecano last summer but no move eventually materialised.
Dayot Upamecano's contract with RB Leipzig runs until the summer of 2023 but is understood to include a release clause of €42.5 million (£38 million), which can only be activated come this summer.
This leaves all potential suitors with two options - to either wait until the summer and buy the player out or begin negotiations with RB Leipzig for a higher fee in the ongoing transfer window.
Manchester United could turn towards Raphael Varane instead of Dayot Upamecano
Should their pursuit for Dayot Upamecano fail, Manchester United will reportedly try and acquire Real Madrid's Raphael Varane.
Several reports this week have claimed that Varane wants to leave Los Blancos in search of new challenges. With his contract expiring in the summer of 2022 and no new contract signed, Real Madrid might be tempted to sell him for a moderate fee rather than watch him walk away for free next summer.
