Manchester United and Liverpool on alert as key target’s release clause reduces to €40m next summer

Posted Thursday, October 08, 2020 by Caughtoffside.com

There was a feeling that Man United and Liverpool might be looking to improve the centre of their defence this summer, and recent events have only made that look like a bigger need.

Alex Telles will only manage to improve the defence a little bit from left back so a new centre back is an urgent need, while Liverpool might be nervous about their current options after being spanked by Aston Villa at the weekend.

Dayot Upamecano was touted as a key target for both sides over the past few months so it was a surprise to see him sign a new contract at RB Leipzig, but a report from The Metro has explained the reasoning behind that.

He was set to be available for free next summer but he signed a new deal to ensure the German side would get something for him when he goes, and the new deal allowed him to reduce his release clause to €40m.

They quote Bild in saying that the reduced clause won’t kick in until next summer so that will probably rule out a January transfer, but it’s clear to see why a lot of teams are looking at him.

He’s quick, aggressive, solid in defence and comfortable on the ball, so he’s exactly what every team wants in their defenders just now.

It’s likely that there will be a lot of interest in him next summer so interested clubs might need to start laying the groundwork now, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.