What worries many clubs is that a phenomenon is gradually becoming the norm: players seem in no hurry to renew their contracts. Instead, they reach a tacit understanding with their agents to maximize the term of their deals—disregarding traditional rules, unafraid of reactions from club management and fans, and calmly facing various possibilities in the final year of their contracts.
While they risk injury or a lack of offers from potential suitors, reality shows this is no longer just a fleeting trend. Real Madrid has emerged as a benchmark club leading such "free market" moves; David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, and Arnold are typical examples, and they will likely not be the last.
This "calling effect" and Real Madrid’s appeal as a top-tier club have led many players choosing to wait for their contracts to expire to turn their attention to the Bernabéu—even proactively reaching out to test the club’s stance on signing players with elite backgrounds, strong ability, and impressive resumes. The latest addition to this growing list is French center-back Dayot Upamecano.
Upamecano has been linked with Real Madrid for years. Before joining Bayern Munich, almost everyone believed he was destined to wear the Real Madrid jersey. Four years later, the defender is once again setting his sights on the Bernabéu, eager to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for the club in white. He has been actively pushing for this possibility through his agent; although Real Madrid currently has other priorities in its transfer targets, the club is indeed evaluating the feasibility of the move.
Upamecano is an absolute mainstay in Bayern’s defense and a key center-back for the French national team, partnering with Ibrahima Konaté. Konaté also harbors ambitions of joining Real Madrid and has already had contact with parties from Valdebebas. In fact, it is widely believed within Liverpool that Konaté has some form of agreement with Real Madrid, similar to Arnold’s case back then.
The two center-backs have had many overlaps in their careers: from the French national team to RB Leipzig, they shared the dressing room and developed great understanding. Now, they are pursuing the same goal: to play for Real Madrid. Their transfers to other clubs previously brought RB Leipzig 82.5 million euros, and four years later, they are seeking their next destination after leaving Liverpool and Bayern.
Although Bayern’s management has made its stance clear—vowing not to repeat the mistake of being forced into a last-minute contract renewal with Alphonso Davies and to sell players unwilling to renew before their contracts expire—it is already too late to act on Upamecano.
