Dayot Upamecano, a towering powerhouse of a defender born on 27 October 1998 in France, currently dons the number 2 jersey for Bayern Munich. At 6ft (1.85m) and weighing 13st (83kg), his vigour is matched by his tenacity out on the pitch. His footballing journey, adorned with commendable performances and punctuated by his commanding physicality, has also seen him earn his stripes with the France national team.
Upamecano's monetary worth on the field, as at the time of this report, stands at approximately £42.5 million, as per the appraisal done by Transfermarkt. His contract with Bayern Munich, only a fraction spent, is slated to extend until the summer of 2026.
Our French centurion's career took flight in July 2015, when he was transferred from Valenciennes FC, playing in the third tier of French football, to Red Bull Salzburg, competing in the Austrian Bundesliga, for what might now be considered a bargain at £1.9 million. His first season in Austria saw him making a pair of appearances before increasing his involvement in the 2016-2017 season with 15 appearances.
January 2017 marked a new chapter in Upamecano's soaring career, as he transferred his talents to RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundelisga, for a substantially higher fee of £8.5 million. Whilst his first half-season at Leipzig saw him play a dozen times, he was more influential in the 2017-2018 season, playing in 28 league matches and recording three goals. Further involvement in forthcoming seasons fortified his reputation, featuring 15 times in 2018-2019, 28 in 2019-2020 and 29 in 2020-2021 seasons, netting a solitary goal in the latter two campaigns.
An alluring offer in the summer of 2021 saw Upamecano make a high-profile switch to Bayern Munich in a transfer deal worth approximately £38 million. No stranger to the intimidating Bavarian terrains, he evidently impressed in his first season with 28 first-team outings and a goal. The succeeding seasons maintained this tempo, as he racked up 29 appearances in 2022-2023, 25 in 2023-2024 scoring once again, and a current tally of 19 games with two goals in the running 2024-2025 season.
Upamecano's widespread recognition isn't confined to domestic leagues. He has been quite the participant in more notable arenas, such as the Champions League 2023 - 2024 for Bayern Munich, with six starts and a substitute appearance. He further extended his international career by representing France in Euro 2024 with six starts, Euro Qualifiers 2022 - 2024, chipping in with a goal in five starts, Nations League 2024 - 2025 with two starts, and Champions League 2024 - 2025 for Bayern Munich with nine starts.
