Tottenham has joined their north London rivals Arsenal for the service of highly-rated RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano who is valued at 80 million pounds.
The Frenchman has attracted interest across Europe after another strong campaign with the Bundesliga contenders. Barcelona and Manchester United are reportedly keeping close tabs on the center-back.
Arsenal was said to leading the race but the latest reports from France indicate that Jose Mourinho’s Spurs is now in pole position to land the robust central defender. Mourinho has over 120 million pounds to revamp Spurs’ aging squad.
His high valuation may put off Arsenal who have not spend big in recent weeks and are unlikely to splash 80 million pounds for one player. It is this factor that has given Spurs an edge on the race for the highly rated defender.
At 21, Dayot is viewed as a long-term successor to Jan Vertonghen who could leave the club at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract as he is yet to be offered a new deal by the north Londoners, Ajax is said to be keen on re-signing him.
Arsenal is also keen on beefing up their backline that has been one of their weak areas this season and had identified the Leipzig man for signing although the valuation seems to have cooled their interest.