Real Madrid has dropped another bombshell in their defensive recruitment drive—French international center-back Dayot Upamecano has become the Blancos’ top target for a free transfer next summer! According to sources, Real Madrid, via the player’s agent, has learned that renewal talks between the 26-year-old Bayern Munich defender and his current club have completely hit a dead end. Seizing this "window of opportunity," Los Blancos plan to splash €20 million in sign-on fees to lure him to the Bernabéu as a free agent next summer, teaming him up with Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger to form the "core trio" of their future defense.
Upamecano’s contract with Bayern expires in June 2026. He previously made it clear in renewal talks that he was seeking a sign-on fee of nearly €20 million, a demand Bayern has been reluctant to meet; Real Madrid, however, has readily stated that it is willing to convert this sum directly into a "signing bonus" as a key bargaining chip to secure his services. Injury concerns surrounding David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger have further convinced Real Madrid’s management to accelerate the recruitment—from their perspective, these two veteran defenders "are more suited for the present than the future," and the defense is in urgent need of young talent.
Real Madrid had previously considered Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté as an alternative, but his frequent injuries gradually ruled him out of the race. As one option faded, Upamecano’s priority in Real’s recruitment list soared. What’s more, Upamecano is a "close comrade-in-arms" of Kylian Mbappé in the French national team—when Mbappé became embroiled in controversy under Didier Deschamps, it was this Bayern defender who stepped up to defend him first. This "teammate bond" may add an "invisible boost" to Real Madrid’s pursuit.
Media reports indicate that the German football community has noticed Upamecano is "deliberately stalling" his renewal with Bayern, and the probability of him staying is growing slimmer. Although Bayern is unwilling to let go of this defender in his prime (he turns 27 at the end of October)—worried both about weakening their defensive depth and facing the worst-case scenario of losing him for nothing—Upamecano’s frequent injuries in recent years have made the Bundesliga giants increasingly cautious about renewing his contract. All signs point to one conclusion: the possibility of the French center-back "leaving now outweighs staying."
