Arsenal's pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano has taken a fresh twist.
football.london understands that the Frenchman has been on the Gunners' radar for quite some time now and links have increased ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, a move to the Emirates Stadium appeared to have been ruled out by Upamecano's agent, Volker Struth, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I don’t believe in large transfers this summer and I think Upamecano is a player who will demand a large fee," he told ‘Doppelpass’ on Sport 1 .
"So the statement has already been made."
With that said, the Bundesliga outfit appear to be making plans in the event that Upamecano does depart the Red Bull Arena this summer and it could be fantastic news for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
According to Le10 Sport, Leipzig have become the latest team to enter the race for Barcelona wonderkid Jean-Clair Todibo.
In addition, the report states that Leipzig would be keen on the 20-year-old especially if Upamecano or Ibrahim Konate leave and that Barcelona are open to offers in the region of €30million (£26.3m).
Amid rumours that £34m will be enough to convince Leipzig into selling Upamecano, it seems the Champions League quarter-finalists are braced for the 21-year-old's exit.
Back in 2015 Arsenal could have signed the defender for as little as £1m.
This was when Upamecano was still a teenager and playing his football in France with Valenciennes and had been linked with a move to Manchester United as well as Inter Milan.
Our friends at the Daily Mirror reported on Arsenal's interest at the time, revealing that Arsene Wenger had received glowing reports on Upamecano and was looking to rush through a deal worth £1m plus extras.
In addition, the report stated that the Red Devils had came close to signing Upamecano during the 2015 winter transfer window - but were close to losing out to the Gunners.
As things turned out, RB Leipzig eventually signed the defender for a reported £10m fee in 2017 and stand to make a huge profit if and when they opt to cash in on the in-demand centre-back.
