The contract poker surrounding Dayot Upamecano is increasingly turning into a test of patience. The French central defender has had a new contract on the table for months, but a decision has yet to be made – much to the displeasure of FC Bayern’s officials and fans
In sporting terms, Dayot Upamecano is a fixture at FC Bayern, and strategically he is regarded as a central figure for the future of the defence. Accordingly, the Munich club began talks about a contract extension at an early stage. In terms of content, the deal has long since been negotiated
Upamecano is set to receive a new contract until 2030 or even 2031. The record champions have also made significant concessions to the player in terms of the key financial figures. According to reports, the hand money is around 20 million euros. Even the long-disputed exit clause has been accepted. This is set to be 65 million euros and will take effect from the summer of 2027 – in other words, after just one year of the new contract
An offer that leaves little room for further discussion. And yet the decisive signature is still missing. Upamecano is hesitating, weighing things up – and causing increasing internal unrest
Fans are losing patience – Bayern under pressure to make a move?
Impatience is not only growing at Säbener Straße. The mood is also changing among the supporters of the German record champions. An online vote initiated by BILD clearly shows how critical the fans are of the current poker game. A clear majority of 87 per cent were in favour of withdrawing the contract offer in case of doubt, should Upamecano continue to play for time
The high level of participation in the vote (more than 50,000 votes) underlines the extent to which fans are concerned about the issue. The tenor is clear: anyone who wants to be part of FC Bayern in the long term should also make a clear commitment to the club
For the Bayern bosses, the situation is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. On the one hand, they want planning security in the center of defence, on the other hand, they do not want to send a signal that months of hesitation will remain without consequences. Already at the beginning of the year, board boss Jan-Christian Dreesen had publicly emphasized that the offer would not remain on the table indefinitely
It remains to be seen whether FC Bayern will actually take the hard step and withdraw the offer, but one thing is clear: it would not be the first time that a contract poker has escalated. At the end of 2020, the decision was made to do exactly this with David Alaba. A few months later, the Austrian moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer.