Bayern Munich's French defender — built in the Red Bull system and bought for the highest German transfer fee.
Dayot Upamecano was born in Évreux, France in 1998. Red Bull Salzburg's system developed him — producing the athletic, high-line defending style that the Red Bull network instils. RB Leipzig paid £9 million and Bayern Munich paid £38 million for him in 2021. His four Bayern seasons have produced three Bundesliga titles. He was part of the 2020 Champions League-winning Bayern squad. He represented France 40 times, reaching the 2022 World Cup Final. His combination of pace — allowing him to defend a high line and recover when beaten — with aerial ability and composure makes him the archetype of the modern high-pressing centre-back. He has been involved in errors at crucial moments across his Bayern career — a high-line defensive approach that occasionally results in costly individual moments — but his overall quality has never been seriously questioned. He forms France's defensive future alongside Konaté, Militão (Brazilian) and Saliba.
Bundesliga 3x
Career Honours
- Bundesliga 3x
- Champions League (2020)
- World Cup runner-up (France 2022)