Liverpool are in the hunt for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, who is considered the ‘dream signing’ for manager Jürgen Klopp.
That’s according to BILD, who say the Reds ‘play poker’ with Chelsea and Bayern Munich to secure the highly-rated Frenchman.
Upamecano is widely expected to leave Leipzig in the summer, having established himself as one of the top centre-backs in Europe in recent years.
He has a release clause worth €42.5m in his contract that activates this summer, a price that several top sides in Europe consider a bargain in the current climate.
Liverpool are one of those to have been named among his suitors, with them desperate to find a long-term partner for Virgil van Dijk, particularly after their defensive woes this season.
BILD back up their interest today and state that Upamecano is the ‘dream transfer’ for Klopp this summer.
They explain that while Liverpool ‘urgently need’ defenders, they wanted to wait until the summer and then ‘invest heavily’.
An injury to Joel Matip forced them to move for Ozan Kabak in the January transfer window and while BILD say he can be signed for €30m at the end of his loan deal, Klopp would rather add the €12.5m and sign Upamecano instead.
They face competition from Chelsea and Bayern Munich for his signature, though, with it now very much presented as a three-way race between these clubs for his signature.
