Manchester City interest in Bayern Munich defender clarified as “not true” | OneFootball

Reported interest from Manchester City in one of Vincent Kompany’s central defenders at Bayern Munich has been clarified as “not true” by German media.

Speculation surrounding City’s defensive recruitment has intensified in recent months amid ongoing questions over squad balance, injuries, and long-term planning in the heart of defence amid expiring contracts.

With Pep Guardiola known to admire ball-playing centre-backs and now capable of operating in high defensive lines, transfer links to elite European defenders tend to attract immediate attention.

Those reports recently saw one of Vincent Kompany’s options at Bayern Munich tentatively mentioned in line with Manchester City, however reliable sources in Germany have now played down suggestions of a Premier League move.

That is according to the information of journalist Christian Falk, who has responded to claims that Bayern Munich taking interest from both Chelsea and Manchester City in Dayot Upamecano ‘seriously’ as being not true.

Falk continues in his report by stating that the main competition for Upamecano is between Bayern themselves, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, with ‘many signs’ that the German giants will get a new contract agreement for the Frenchman over the line.

The clarification suggests that while Upamecano remains highly rated across Europe, Bayern are confident of tying down the France international to fresh terms and fending off interest from abroad.

From Manchester City’s perspective, this appears to remove the defender from their list of realistic targets in the short term, with recent reports shifting the club’s focus in the direction of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi in recent weeks.

As the January window approaches, Manchester City’s recruitment strategy is expected to remain measured rather than reactive, although many are keeping an eye on whether Nathan Ake could seek fresh pastures given his desire for consistent game time in a World Cup year.