With the January transfer window still very much open, Arsenal have been linked with players in various positions from all over the world, as the Gunners prepare for the second-half of the Premier League season with Mikel Arteta at the helm.
For Arsenal, arguably the most crucial area in need of reinforcements is in defence, with some quality additions needed if they are to challenge among the elite clubs once again.
One of the players who has been most heavily linked with a move to the Emirates this month is RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, with reports suggesting that the club are hoping to partner him with fellow Frenchman William Saliba from next season, who is currently on loan at French side AS Saint-Etienne.
And it seems that Gunners fans are also keen on the idea, with Dayot Upamecano topping a pre-Christmas poll of footballers supporters wanted to see arrive at the Emirates Stadium in the new year after impressing in the Bundesliga.
So, what kind of impact could Upamecano make at the club if he were sign in January?
We used popular football management simulation game Football Manager 2020 to have a bit of fun and try to predict the future.
Dayot Upamecano to Arsenal
To set up this simulation, we booted up the Football Manager 2020 editor and arranged for Upamecano to join Arsenal on January 1st for a fee of £25 million, using the CIES Football Observatory as a guideline, who suggest his transfer value is between €20m-€30m.
We then simulated the entire 2019/20 season on the game, to see what kind of impact the RB Leipzig defender could have at the Emirates Stadium.
This is what Upamecano's profile looks like in Football Manager 2020.
So, what kind of impact did he have on his arrival at Arsenal?
The French defender added that little bit of extra quality to the Arsenal midfield, immediately displacing Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis to form a strong partnership with David Luiz.
The 21-year-old was a solid performer in his first five months at the Emirates Stadium, making 28 appearances in all competitions.
Upamecano scored twice, assisted another and was named as Man of the Match on three occassions.
The central defender's average rating of 7.08 across all competitions is impressive, especially considering he arrived in the middle of the campaign, making his league average of 7.21 an exceptional feat.
Despite arriving at the beginning of January, Upamecano was included in the list of players who made the most key tackles in the entire 2019/20 campaign, which shows how busy he was!
Upamecano produced his best two performances in two of Arsenal's biggest games.
First, the France international started at Anfield for the Gunners just seven days after his arrival, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory for Mikel Arteta's side. David Luiz had a shocker, rated at just 6.3, but Upamecano bailed him out with a strong performance.
And then a week later, Upamecano was named Man of the Match after keeping a clean sheet in the North London derby, earning a match rating of 8.6, in a game which the Gunners won 2-0.
Upamecano's performances in the second-half of 2019/20 earned him a spot in the Arsenal best eleven, alongside David Luiz.
Arteta employed an interesting 4-2-2-2 formation, with Guendouzi and Torreira proving protection for the back four, allowing Pepe, Ozil, Lacazette and Aubameyang the license to go out and express themselves.
With Upamecano adding a bit of steel to the Gunners defence, Arteta's side secured a fourth place Premier League finish and a return to the Champions League. A very good season.
Arteta also won some silverware in his first season as manager, as the Gunners won the Europa League, beating Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the final, a game in which Upamecano played the full 90 minutes.
So, Football Manager predicts that Upamecano could add some much needed quality to the Gunners' defence if the Frenchman is signed in January, allowing them to win silverware and secure a top four league finish.
What do you make of this Upamecano simulation?
Would you take the French defender at Arsenal in January?
Tell us in the comments below.
