Manchester United opinion: Solskjaer wants Upamecano – good move?

According to a report from Calciomercato, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are keen on RB Leipzig’s defensive rock Dayot Upamecano. The 20-year-old is touted as a replacement for Diego Godin, who is expected to leave the Colchoneros at the end of the season.

However, Calciomercato also claims that Manchester United are interested in the 20-year-old as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to strengthen his defence in the summer. Manchester United should battle hard and beat Atletico Madrid for the signature of the young defender in the summer.

After a terrible start to the season under Jose Mourinho, Manchester United have revived themselves under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils are back in contention for the top four but face an uphill task with Arsenal above them in the Premier League table.

Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling have formed a formidable partnership in the heart of the defence but with Eric Bailly out of favour and Phil Jones’ consistency always in question, United have to bring in a solid centre-half and Upamecano checks all boxes.

Upamecano played 14 of Leipzig’s first 18 games this season but has since been out with a knee injury. The Frenchman, still only 20, has been an immense presence at the back for the Bundesliga side since last season and has impressed many with his performances.

Physically, Upamecano is everything a manager would want from a defender. A tall, colossal figure who bullies the striker to retrieve the ball, Upamecano is also incredibly calm on the ball and is capable of driving into the opposition half.

His experience as a defensive midfielder earlier in his career has given him outstanding technical ability on the ball and he is the definition of a modern-day ball-playing centre-half.

His positional discipline at such a young age is a rare gift and even if he is caught out, his pace helps him get back and contain the danger with relative ease.

The 20-year-old, in his 14 appearances this season, averages 1.2 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 2.9 clearances and an impressive 2.1 successful aerial duels won in the Bundesliga.

The Frenchman’s comfort on the ball is evident with his passing numbers as he averages close to 50 passes a game of which three are long balls, all with a healthy accuracy of over 82%. (WhoScored)

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Conclusion

Manchester United have a tough battle on their hands in the pursuit of Dayot Upamecano but they should beat Atletico Madrid for his signature.

Upamecano has massive potential in him which can be fulfilled with a move to Old Trafford and with him still being 20, United would have a fantastic defender on their hands for the next decade.