Dayot Upamecano will be a free agent at the end of the 2025/26 season. (Photo by Jasmin Walter – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
UEFA via Getty Images
Bayern Munich has had a fantastic start to the 2025/26 season. The Rekordmeister won their first four Bundesliga games, scoring 18 goals and only conceding three times. Bayern also won its first-round game in the DFB-Pokal 3-2 against Wehen Wiesbaden and defeated Chelsea 3-1 on matchday 1 of the Champions League.
All is well then in Bayern land, right? Well, almost, like it was the case last season with the prolonged negotiations between Bayern and star players, this season’s start is once again overshadowed by a key player threatening to leave on a free contract in the form of Dayot Upamecano.
The Frenchman entered the season in the final year of his contract and could now negotiate a free transfer away from the club as early as this upcoming January. Indeed, the list of interested clubs is long, with Real Madrid currently being named as a potential destination.
For Bayern, the situation surrounding Upamecano is a familiar one. Bayern have been there before with David Alaba and Alphonso Davies. Both situations had very different outcomes. While Alaba opted to leave Bayern on a free transfer for Real Madrid, Davies penned a new long-term deal with the Rekordmeister last February.
What will Upamecano do? Signed for €42.5 million ($50 million) from RB Leipzig in 2021, the 26-year-old center-back initially struggled at Bayern. It wasn’t until the arrival of Vincent Kompany that Upamecano finally became one of the best center-backs in the Bundesliga.
Perhaps that process was always to be expected. Center-backs often need time to mature, and Upamecano was no different. Furthermore, in Kompany, Upamecano now works with a head coach who himself was one of the best center-backs of his generation.
Upamecano (r.) has benefited from working together with Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich. (Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
FIFA via Getty Images
The problem for Bayern is that other clubs have also taken notice of Upamecano’s development. Before the arrival of Kompany, Upamecano was a candidate to be sold; however, Bayern would now like to sign their defender to a new long-term deal.
That, however, won’t be easy. Upamecano will have taken note of the club’s recent contract extensions. Whether it was Davies, Jamal Musiala, or Joshua Kimmich, Bayern’s recent contract renewals all came with a significant financial outlay.
Indeed, Davies and Musiala received substantial pay increases in their respective deals. Kimmich, in the meantime, has been able to maintain his high salary level.
As a result, Upamecano also wants to significantly improve his financial situation. According to Capology, Upamecano currently earns €10 million ($11.7 million) at Bayern Munich.
What will it cost Bayern to keep Upamecano? A report by Die Abendzeitung suggests that Upamecano would like to receive a salary that would place him somewhere between Davies’s ($16.5 million) and Kimmich’s ($22 million). The defender would also like a release clause, which Bayern has granted to Musiala and Harry Kane.
Publicly, Bayern has been quite confident that they can keep Upamecano. But internally, there is also some concern. A report by Bild suggests that Upamecano wants to explore potential offers from other clubs before considering a move.
Furthermore, there are also voices within the club that have raised some concerns. Former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently discussed the topic of salaries at the club. “You have to say the word ‘no’ sometimes,” Rummenigge said.
Indeed, the Rekordmeister set an example recently. Director of sport Max Eberl had a deal in place to sign Leroy Sané to a new contract last spring. The winger then changed agents and tried to renegotiate. Ultimately, this led Bayern’s bosses to walk away from the deal, and Sané has since joined Galatasaray in Türkiye on a free transfer.
The message is clear: Bayern doesn’t want to give in to every salary demand made by players. What that means for the talks with Upamecano remains to be seen.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/manuelveth/2025/09/24/will-bayern-munich-be-able-to-keep-dayot-upamecano/
