The contract poker surrounding Dayot Upamecano is increasingly becoming a stress test for FC Bayern. While the Munich side continue to hope for an extension, more and more competition is forming in the background – now also from the Premier League.
As the English portal TEAMtalk reports, two financially strong top clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City, are looking closely at a possible free transfer of the French central defender in the summer of 2026. While the Blues have been rumored to be interested for some time, Manchester City’s interest is a new development – and an explosive one.
According to the report, City sporting director Hugo Viana in particular is a great admirer of Upamecano. After Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, another European heavyweight is now waiting in the wings. This is a tricky situation for Bayern, as the 27-year-old will be officially allowed to negotiate with other clubs from 1 January. By then at the latest, the pressure on those responsible at Säbener Straße would increase significantly once again.
Freund is demonstratively calm
Despite the growing competition, Bayern remain outwardly optimistic. Sporting director Christoph Freund refuted reports that talks had come to a standstill. Before the Bundesliga match against Mainz, the Austrian emphasized that intensive and constructive talks were taking place and that Upamecano felt very comfortable with both the team and coach Vincent Kompany.
At the same time, Freund conceded that it was an important decision for the player. From the club’s point of view, the time factor does not play a decisive role, the result is more important. Internally, however, it is clear that the negotiations are mainly stuck on the player’s financial expectations. Salary and hand money are still seen as sticking points.
Regardless of the public calmness, one thing is certain: the months of poker show how difficult it has become for FC Bayern to tie Upamecano down long-term without further burdening its own salary structure. The pressure increases with every new interested party – and with the turn of the year approaching, the situation could become even more acute for the Munich club.