‘We are in talks’: Fabrizio Romano relays evening transfer news with Liverpool impact | OneFootball

Christoph Freund refuted suggestions that Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano has reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid.

Bayern Munich’s sporting director was speaking out about the centre-back’s future ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

Fabrizio Romano relays update on Dayot Upamecano contract talks

(Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Fabrizio Romano relayed the comments in question on X (formerly Twitter). The Austrian executive confirmed that talks remain ongoing with the French international over extending his contract.

That said, Freund did hint at multiple clubs being interested in Upamecano ahead of the January transfer window.

Assuming that the Bundesliga champions have yet to bring talks to completion by January, overseas outfits will be able to open official talks over signing a pre-contract agreement.

Why have Upamecano and Bayern not agreed a contract extension?

Reports from Germany indicate that there remains a critical dispute between the player and club over the potential signing fee on offer.

Bundesliga expert Christian Falk informed CF Bayern Insider about Upamecano’s contract talks back in October: “You have Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich and he was in the same situation last year.

“The Canadian got a lot of money, we heard around €20m-22m [£17.4m-19.1m], just for the signing fee!

“Upamecano, of course, knows about this and has been asking, ‘What about my signing fee?'”

That said, there are some encouraging signs for Bayern that the Frenchman could yet commit his future to Munich.

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reported on Thursday (on X) that a full agreement remains pending, but talks are ‘progressing positively’.

Could Liverpool sign Upamecano?

Whilst the spotlight will rest mainly on Real Madrid – in light of their need for as many as two centre-backs next summer – Liverpool, perhaps, shouldn’t be taken completely out of the equation.

Falk reported as recently as October that Arne Slot’s men were ‘looking’ at Dayot Upamecano in light of their own centre-back drama.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Ibrahima Konate, as has already been well-established, remains on course to become a free agent in the next summer window.

With that in mind, signing a player of his international teammate’s quality, also on a free transfer, would represent potentially sound business.

The problem for both Bayern and Liverpool, of course, is that both centre-halves are understood to be high up on Real Madrid’s shortlist.

Has Marc Guehi sealed Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate’s fates?

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi can’t be discounted in this game of transfer poker.

The Premier League star is also on the radar of the La Liga giants. However, if reports that the Englishman has given Liverpool his word to join in the summer are on the money, this surely forces Real Madrid to push harder for at least one of the two French internationals.

Hardly encouraging news for two clubs that have been forced to witness star defenders switch to the Bernabeu in recent years.

Especially not for the reigning Premier League champions, should Bayern manage to convince Upamecano to extend his current deal.

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