TRANSFER BLOW: DAYOT UPAMECANO REJECTS LIVERPOOL FOR MASSIVE BAYERN SALARY AS RED'S OPTIONS SHRINK
Liverpool’s defensive hunt hits a wall as Dayot Upamecano agrees a new Bayern deal. With Konate leaving, Guehi remains a top target.
Liverpool is on the hunt for new defenders as it plans for the next few seasons, but things aren’t exactly falling its way. Dayot Upamecano, one of their main targets, seems to be slipping through their fingers. He’s just accepted a new salary offer from Bayern Munich. Most of the contract details are already sorted out between Upamecano and the Bundesliga side.
Upamecano’s not the only big-name centre-back in Europe whose contract is winding down, but he’s the one everyone’s watching right now. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate looks set to leave Liverpool this summer when his deal ends. The Reds have got their eyes on Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace too, but they’re not the only ones—several top clubs are interested as his contract at Selhurst Park ticks away.
A few weeks back, there were reports from Germany that Upamecano’s agents actually offered him to Liverpool. Real Madrid and PSG have also been in the conversation, but now it’s Bayern who’ve made the strongest move. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano says Bayern put the best wage package on the table, and Upamecano’s side said yes to the salary, bonuses, and length of the deal. The last detail they’re hammering out is the release clause.
Here’s the sticking point: Bayern don’t want any release clause that kicks in before 2027 or 2028. They aren’t interested in giving Upamecano a quick exit. It’s up to Upamecano now to decide if he’s okay with that, but honestly, Bayern are offering him just about everything else.
So, what does this all mean for Liverpool? Well, their chances of landing Upamecano on a free this summer are pretty much gone. Technically, he can still talk to clubs outside Germany about a pre-contract, but with how far along he is with Bayern, that’s looking like a long shot. With Konate’s future uncertain and Virgil van Dijk’s contract up in 2027, Liverpool really needs to start thinking about their next move in defence. The options are getting slimmer.
BAYERN MUNICH RULE OUT MARCUS RASHFORD MOVE REGARDLESS OF ANTHONY GORDON OUTCOME
Marcus Rashford is not a target for Bayern Munich this summer, as the club focuses entirely on signing Gordon from Newcastle.
Bayern Munich aren’t considering a move for Marcus Rashford this summer, no matter what happens with Anthony Gordon. That’s according to a German reporter who’s close to the story.
Right now, Rashford is wrapping up his loan at Barcelona. He’s set to return to Manchester United at the end of the season. Barcelona have an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million (£26 million) in the summer. Both Rashford and Barcelona want him to stay, but here’s the catch: the club doesn’t want to pay the full €30 million.
Barcelona would rather keep Rashford on loan for another year or get him for a lower fee. Manchester United’s not having it. They want the full price, so Barcelona are starting to look at other players.
Rashford hasn’t made a secret of where he wants to be. Earlier in the season, he told Sport, one of the local Barcelona papers, about how much he wants to stay, saying, “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s the ultimate goal.” He talked about the pressure and expectations at the club, saying they keep him motivated and that he feels like he’s in the perfect environment to grow and win trophies. For now, though, it’s all up in the air until next summer.
Last year, Bayern Munich actually showed some interest in Rashford before he went to Barcelona. But now, they’re focused on signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for the left wing. The problem is, Gordon’s interested, but Newcastle’s price is ridiculous, reportedly around £80 million (€92.6 million). That’s much higher than what Bayern’s willing to pay. They’re thinking closer to £60 million (€69.4 million), and maybe with add-ons or an instalment plan. If Newcastle won’t budge, it probably isn’t happening.
Christian Falk, a trusted journalist from Bild, says Bayern aren’t considering Rashford as a backup if they can’t land Gordon. Bayern’s got a short list of players for the left wing, and Rashford isn’t on it. Gordon’s their main focus, but even if that deal falls through, Rashford’s not the next in line.
So at this stage, Bayern and Rashford won’t be coming together this summer, even if Gordon stays at Newcastle. That’s just not in the plans.
BAYERN MUNICH IDENTIFY ARSENAL’S KAI HAVERTZ AS TOP TARGET FOR SUMMER WINDOW
From North London to Munich? Kai Havertz emerges as the leading candidate to join Bayern’s elite Premier League-built attack.
Bayern Munich still have their eye on an Arsenal star, hoping to bring more Premier League experience up front, especially after plans with Chelsea fell apart.
Right now, Bayern are among the best teams in Europe. It really depends on how you rank PSG, but Bayern’s up there, no question. Vincent Kompany deserves a lot of credit for getting them to this level. Still, you can’t ignore their recruitment. They keep picking top-flight Premier League attackers, and it works.
With Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise, Bayern’s attack is lethal. Those three have already scored 100 goals this season. Defenders in the Bundesliga just can’t cope, and you can tell their time in England’s toughest league has paid off.
Bayern have another Premier League forward in the mix right now, but he’s not sticking around.
Chelsea deal off, Bayern looking at Arsenal.
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano made it official that X: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge this summer because Bayern aren’t activating his €65m buy option. Bayern’s director, Max Eberl, confirmed it, so that the backup spot behind Kane opens again when Jackson leaves.
James Benge reports that Kai Havertz’s name is coming up as a possible replacement. He said on the Inside Arsenal podcast that Bayern are definitely interested, “but nothing concrete yet.” Havertz could be the squad player who covers for Musiala and Kane.
Honestly, signing a German for Germany’s top club makes sense. Arsenal won’t just roll over, though, if Bayern come calling. Even after picking up Viktor Gyokeres last summer, Mikel Arteta still prefers Havertz up front. When Arsenal played Manchester City in their biggest game this season, Arteta benched Gyokeres and started Havertz.
Havertz has had injury issues this year. Heading into summer, he’ll still have two years left on his contract. If Bayern make a strong offer, Arsenal could think about selling.
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