ARSENAL suffered a major transfer blow after Real Madrid joined the race to sign Dayot Upamecano, according to reports.
The RB Leipzig defender, 21, has emerged as one of the most sought-after players in Europe this season with his performances for the Bundesliga side.
German rivals Bayern Munich are monitoring the Frenchman while Spurs have also shown interest and Pep Guardiola wants to team him up with Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City.
But now according to AS, Zinedine Zidane is desperate for Los Blancos to land his compatriot when the transfer window reopens.
Upamecano’s release clause means he would be available for around £55million and, with just one year left on his current deal, Leipzig may be forced to cash in.
Nacho Fernandez, 30, may have come through the academy at the Bernabeu but is very much on the fringes and lacking minutes so is expected to be let go.
Meanwhile, Eder Militao has done little to win over Zidane just yet.
The agreement to sign the Porto defender was made before the manager returned to the dugout to replace Santiago Solari and it has not quite worked out.
Despite his £45m transfer fee, Militao has played just 992 minutes of football for his new club this season.
Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane remain the clear first-choice partnership for Zidane.
But with Ramos now 34, he needs to consider managing his workload while Upamecano is seen as the ‘Varane 2.0’.
The RB Leipzig man has referenced his fellow French star – who was also picked up by Madrid at a young age under Zidane’s suggestion – as the play he looks up to and wants to emulate.
But the news will come as a big hit for Mikel Arteta, who had made Upamecano the Gunners’ No1 transfer target.
Pablo Mari is expected to sign permanently in the summer while William Saliba will return from his loan at Saint-Etienne.
The likes of Samuel Umtiti, Gabriel Magalhaes, Dejan Lovren of Liverpool and unsettled Bayern Munich man Jerome Boateng have all been linked with a move to the Emirates.
But Upamecano would be the preferred option.
However, despite suggestions the France Under-21 international would force through a move in the summer, his current club warned he may have to stay put.
RB Leipzig urged their star defender to “rethink” his plans to quit the German club at the end of the season.
Sporting director Markus Krosche said: “This is a far-reaching decision for a player. He should take his time with that.
“He has to be clear about exactly what he is going to do, how he sees his future. Maybe that has changed a bit as a result of the new situation [coronavirus].”
