Dayot Upamecano is keen on a move away from RB Leipzig this summer, but he doesn’t want to join one of Europe’s top teams to sit on the bench.

Leipzig's French defender Dayot Upamecano (L) and Bremen's Dutch defender Davy Klaassen vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match RB Leipzig vs SV Werder Bremen, in Leipzig, eastern Germany on February 15, 2020. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano (L) and Davy Klaassen vie for the ball on February 15, 2020. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

L’Equipe (via GFFN) report that Upamecano is looking to be more than just a bench player for his new team. He’s looking to move on from RB Leipzig this summer, but not for one of Europe’s elite. He believes he’d end up too far down the defensive hierarchy if he did.

The player’s main goal is playing time, and ideally, he wants to continue to play in the Champions League. If no club is willing or able to meet his demands, then he’ll consider a contract extension with his current club. He only has 12 months left on his deal.

Obviously, it’s going to be difficult for Arsenal to qualify for the Champions League at this stage. However, they could do a lot better than the other clubs in the race in terms of gametime promises.

The Gunners are crying out for someone to come in and nail down a starting spot in defence. Any top young defender could realistically hope to play regularly if they showed a good spell of form, that’s why there’s so much talk about William Saliba.

Upamecano will surely recognise the potential for games at Arsenal. After that, it’s just about how well they finish the season and what level of European football (if any) they have to offer.