Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Upamecano's humiliation as move turns sour after rejecting Man Utd and Liverpool

mirror.co.uk, 24 January 2022, 17:45
Dayot Upamecano opted to sign for Bayern Munich ahead of Liverpool or Manchester United last summer but boss Julian Nagelsmann singled him out for criticism after their weekend win

Bayern Munich won the race to sign central defender Dayot Upamecano this summer but not everything has gone to plan for the French international.

Upamecano joined Bayern from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig last year and explained his decision to stay in the Bundesliga while rejecting interest from Premier League giants.

Manchester United and Liverpool were both linked with a move for the defender, with the latter signing his former Leipzig defensive partner Ibrahima Konate last year.

The 23-year-old has been tipped to become one of the best defenders in the game after a fine few seasons at Leipzig and has become a mainstay in the heart of Julian Nagelsmann's defence this campaign.

The defender swapping Leipzig for Munich was the same path travelled by Nagelsmann this summer but the coach has now publicly criticised Upamecano's role in Sunday's victory at Hertha Berlin.

Have Your Say! Are Bayern Munich currently the best team in Europe? Tell us what you think here.

The Bundesliga champions were cruising to a comfortable victory as they were four goals ahead with ten minutes remaining before Jurgen Ekkelenkamp pulled a goal back for the hosts.

The goal stemmed from Upamecano playing a loose pass which was intercepted by Dejan Jovetic, whose touch was blocked by Manuel Neuer before Ekkelenkamp was able to lift the ball into the net.

Despite the goal not having any impact on the destination of the points, Nagelsmann was unable to hide his frustration with the central defender after the match.

The Bayern boss specifically criticised the decision-making by Upamecano without mentioning him by name as he questioned his concentration levels.

"That goal was completely avoidable. If I were 95 kilos and very fast, I'd control the ball, dribble another meter or two and see what happens," Nagelsmann told TV station DAZN after the game.

"At some point, [Steven] Jovetic has to put pressure on the goalkeeper, and you might be able to play the ball to your centre-back partner.

"But you stay on the ball for now. Playing the ball directly coming out of the back and bouncing.... That's always difficult.

"I'm a fan of just doing things with control. There was no big pressure. Just put the ball down and see what the opponent does. It's 4-0, mind you, so you can play a bit more controlled.

"It's not like we have to go forward again extremely quickly or chase a deficit."

Upamecano spent four-and-a-half seasons in the Bundesliga with Leipzig prior to joining Bayern last year, opting to reject Premier League interest.

"I was sure relatively quickly that I wanted to stay in Germany and in the Bundesliga," the defender said at the time.

"I like it here, the level of the games, the fans, the stadiums.

"When FC Bayern gets in touch, you are really proud. It doesn't get much higher, especially when you've played in Leipzig before."

Bayern Munich remain six points clear ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga.

Show more

Top News

28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making a move for Braga attacker Roger Fernandes this summer. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona attacker Dani Olmo will be sidelined for approximately three weeks with the right adductor injury that he suffered during the team's La Liga clash with Osasuna on Thursday night. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has revealed Marcos Senesi could be in the squad for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Osasuna have launched an official appeal to the Spanish Football Federation, claiming that Inigo Martinez was not eligible to take to the field for Barcelona in Thursday's La Liga contest. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their faint hopes of Conference League qualification alive, Brest will travel to the South Coast on Sunday afternoon to face Toulouse in Ligue 1. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Jean-Philippe Mateta is back from his horror injury, but he's now having to wear some unique protective headgear. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti is confident that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Ceballos will all be available for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal on April 8. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool Women will look to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal when they face Aston Villa Women in Sunday's clash at the St Helens Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Leicester City Women will welcome Tottenham Hotspur Women to the King Power Stadium for Sunday's Women's Super League fixture. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Both looking to ease their growing fears of relegation, Angers and Rennes will clash at Stade Raymond Kopa for a Ligue 1 match on Sunday afternoon. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United Women will welcome Everton Women to Leigh Sports Village for Sunday's Women's Super League encounter. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca scrapped a planned rest day for his senior squad after they suffered a shock 3-0 loss to the club's under-21 side in training. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Wrexham are financially stable enough to challenge the big hitters next season if they secure promotion to the Championship. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Buoyed by reaching the Women's Champions League semi-final, Arsenal Women will return to Women's Super League action for Sunday's meeting with Crystal Palace Women. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly plotting a move for Liverpool-linked Jeremie Frimpong in the summer transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly prepared to consider offers for defender Cristian Romero during the summer transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly prepared to pay over the release clause of Francisco Trincao in order to land the attacker. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Brazilian football delivered yet another night of chaos as Corinthians clinched their first title in six years - with a familiar face in the middle of a controversial Sao Paolo derby. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has been impressed with young centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov since joining Manchester City in the January transfer window. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola must work around two crushing suspension blows for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly moved ahead in the race for Blackburn Rovers sensation Harvey Higgins. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is confident of having Ederson available for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United teenager Bendito Mantato is reportedly in line for a new four-year contract at Old Trafford. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Catalan battles Basque in the pick of this weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals, where Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth host Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has delivered a positive update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Saturday lunchtime's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Fulham at Craven Cottage. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Estoril Praia face a tough challenge as they look to end their winless run when they host Champions League hopefuls Porto in round 27 of the Primeira Liga on Sunday. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The Eredivisie returns this weekend after a two-week break, and a blockbuster De Topper clash is on the cards this Sunday, when PSV Eindhoven play host to Ajax at Philips Stadion. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Moreirense will look to build on their recent success as they resume Primeira Liga action, hosting Vitoria de Guimaraes in round 27. 28 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Montpellier HSC travel to Auxerre in Ligue 1 this weekend, searching for their first win in over two months. 28 March 2025 talksport.com Former Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson declined to shake his hand after a tense 2013 FA Cup quarter-final.
Something went wrong! Don't hesitate to let us know if you need any help.