Dayot Upamecano – The young Frenchman marshalling RB Leipzig’s defence
Dayot Upamecano grew up on the La Madeleine estate in Evreux where he played street football with Ousmane Dembele, Rennes’ Rafik Guitane and Moustapha Diatta who played for Caen and Borussia Dortmund. He left France for Austria to join FC Liefering at 16-years-old before progressing at Red Bull Salzburg after he adapted to the club’s playing style. In Austria, he also played in midfield which improved his ball-playing abilities before settling as a buccaneering defensive presence. He moved to RB Leipzig for €10 million as he has developed into Julian Nagelsmann’s first choice centre-back despite only just turning 21.
He originally turned down Marseille to move to Austria as he had doubts over his playing time while his price-tag is now set at a minimum of €60 million as a blockbuster move is in the offing for him. He has no shortage of suitors with Arsenal showing concrete interest last summer according to French and German media outlets, but RB Leipzig made the astute decision to keep him in order for him to develop under the tutelage of Julian Nagelsmann. The young German manager began the season with a back three but has switched to a back four as Upamecano gained more playing time after an injury to compatriot Ibrahima Konate. He has partnered Stefan Ilsanker, Willi Orban and Lukas Klostermann as a constant for RB Leipzig who are tussling with Borussia Monchengladbach to lead the Bundesliga.
Ralph Hasenhuttl showed tremendous trust in Konate and Upamecano to start them as a centre-back duo as 19-year-olds, especially away to Borussia Dortmund in the cauldron of Signal Iduna Park. Hasenhuttl also used Lukas Klostermann who was only 22 and Marcelo Saracchi who was only 20 in an extremely young defence. Upamecano was young but undeterred as he instantly showed his instincts in making an important tackle in the pressing phase to play a pass for Forsberg to flick for fellow Frenchman Jean-Kevin Augustin to have his shot saved by Roman Burki. Upamecano was born to play in a high-line and has been tutored in the art since his mid-teens in Austria as he can push forward to regain possession with highly developed instincts while having the pace to chase down strikers and win the ball with last ditch tackles.
However, his ability to drive the ball forward and work passes through the channels is his specialty as his distribution has always set him apart as a special defender. Konate and Upamecano have a brilliant relationship as centre-back partners as they played together regularly under Hasenhuttl and at French youth level. Upamecano even took Konate under his wing when he first joined as the two will regularly instruct each other where to distribute the ball when they under pressure on the pitch. Last season, under Ralph Rangnick, Konate was the starter while Upamecano was resigned to the bench as the duo rarely got the opportunity to play together.
Upamecano still showed his ability whenever he got the opportunity as in the DFB Pokal Final, he came off the bench to barge his way forward past one attacker then outmuscle another to play a through ball for Emile Forsberg to go through on goal and miss a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer. He also had a blunder for Bayern Munich’s third goal as Robert Lewandowski beat him for pace then outmuscled him to score as the Pole wheeled away in celebration while the Frenchman was left in a heap on the ground. However, the young Frenchman has put that behind him to develop into a sturdy and reliable presence for Julian Nagelsmann this season.
In a back three, he martialled the team in possession as against Werder Bremen, he had an instance where he received the ball from right centre-back, Konate to spread the ball to the left for Orban to drive forward. The ball eventually found its way back to the feet of Upamecano who strode forward with purpose from his own half into the opposition final third to then thread a ball to Mattheus Cunha in the centre through a glut of four players. Upamecano continuously finds ball-playing solutions showing a confidence in his instincts befitting of a centre-back at the latter stages of his career rather than one in his early twenties. Whenever, Konate and Upamecano play together, both are encouraged to push up and work line-breaking passes through tight areas.
Upamecano distribution in a high line leading to a goal.
During a disappointing French U21 European Championships Campaign in the summer, the duo constantly saw spaces and pushed their team forward but poor decision making in the opposition half shackled a vastly talented side. Another thing that does not phase the French centre-back is the pressure of opposition attackers. Away to Bayer Leverkusen, he had to pick up a loose ball in his own half with two attackers in tow and his back towards play, he cleverly and adroitly turned with the ball glued to his right foot before working a pass in between the lines to Konrad Laimer who worked a one two with a teammate to drive into the opposition half.
Upamecano’s vision is incredible but the weighting and trajectory of his passes is magnificent as his distribution always allows the receiver to spin or shift possession to a teammate with little difficulty. He is always aware of passing to his teammate’s stronger foot as against Bayer Leverkusen, he drove forward to thread a ball for a centrally placed Christopher Nkunku on the half-turn who took a touch with his left foot as the ball was under his control for him to work a pass with his stronger right. He worked another pass to his countryman with more pace and zest, allowing Nkunku to lay a pass into a teammate with one touch. Upamecano’s passes through the lines always lead to opportunities being created through flicks and layoffs which give RB Leipzig the opportunity to work quick vertical combinations in tight spaces.
Upamecano is also sure-footed with both feet as with Wolfsburg pressing in a 5-2-3 and RB Leipzig’s three-chain being man-marked, he received a pass from Lukas Klostermann to simply prod the ball past Wout Weghorst with his left while working a pass through the lines to Kevin Kampl with his right foot while Maximilian Arnold was charging forward to pressure him. No matter if his back is turned to pressure or with a man directly engaging him, Upamecano will always demand possession as he believes he can dribble or pass his way out of any situation.
Upamecano dribbling with both feet.
Upamecano was born to defend in a high-line not just because of his ability in possession but also because of his ability defensively. His reading of the game is unparalleled as he wins possession in the counter-press in the higher areas by pushing forward to make clean and well-timed lunges to steal the ball. He just pushes forward covering small spaces with authority to stretch out his leg and nick the ball into his grasp with a toe or his whole foot, rarely going to ground recklessly. However, he can go to ground efficiently and effectively as Maximillian Arnold worked a through ball to Josip Brekalo who could surge into space on Upamecano’s right side and have a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Frenchman quickly shuttled across and executed a perfectly timed challenge to win possession and stop the Croatian dead in his tracks.
“He loves defending, getting the ball off opponents. He’s still young and has room for improvement, but he has a great attitude, and a lot of determination,” said France youth coach, Jean Claude-Giuntini.
Upamecano ball recoveries.
"I learned almost everything there [in Salzburg]. I developed; I learned to go forward, judge my movement better. As a person, I was a bit shy before, and it also made me grow in that sense. Leaving France was beneficial [and] I didn’t want to go to a very big club too soon,” said Upamecano to the Bundesliga website in 2017.
Upamecano describes leaving France for Austria as ‘one of the best decisions that he has ever made’ as the Red Bull clubs have carefully crafted his development till this point, playing him in midfield to gain a better understanding of possession-based football. French Media outlet RMC Sport declared that he was worth ‘€100 million at 18-years-old’ as Leipzig clearly feel the same way, denying a €60 million bid from Arsenal in the summer. At international level, with a highly competitive French defence in which Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti are still only 26-years-old with a highly talented young core bursting through, one has to believe that Frenchman residing in Leipzig is near the top of the pecking order from the young core. Upamecano has spent his career backing the courage of his convictions on and off the pitch as he is developing into one of the best young centre-backs in Europe.
