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RB Leipzig CB Dayot Upamecano

Throughout 2020, we have heard stories about how much Zinedine Zidane wants to work with Dayot Upamecano. The RB Leipzig center back stole the show last season for a club that now looks like a yearly threat in the Champions League under Julian Nagelsmann.

It’s hard to think of a better young center back on the ball in the world right now than Upamecano. He averaged 1.0 dribbles per game in the Bundesliga last season with a staggering 1.9 dribbles per game in the Champions League. How can you match that sort of ball-carrying ability at the center back position?

Upamecano – and this is no exaggeration – has what it takes to be the best center back in the world in a few years. So Zidane’s zeal to sign Upamecano in 2021 is totally understandable; Upamecano can be a game-changer for the next decade, just as Raphael Varane has been.

The 21-year-old will have plenty of other suitors, but Zidane’s pull and the allure of the Santiago Bernabeu should make Real as competitive as anyone in the battle to sign Upamecano from Leipzig. Cost-wise, Upamecano is a bargain for what he brings to the table. He reportedly has a release clause of 42 million euros, which should be within the budget next summer.