Bayern Munich may have won a staggering six trophies in a year — but they will need summer arrival Dayot Upamecano to shore up their leaky defence if that success is to continue.  

Despite topping the Bundesliga, Bayern have shipped 31 goals this season and saw their lead in the league cut to just two points after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to in-form Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Luckily, help is at hand from next season, with RB Leipzig’s star central defender Upamecano agreeing to join in July for £37million.  

As Die Roten get their Champions League tilt back under way against Lazio this evening, we consider whether the Frenchman's impending arrival will strengthen a shaky defence.

Struggles at the back

Rewind to 2019-20 and Bayern’s Bundesliga-winning team conceded just 32 goals en route to a comprehensive league title triumph.

The fact they are only one goal short of that number after 22 matches this season is testament to how quickly their defensive fortunes have declined.

Hansi Flick’s outfit are conceding an average of 1.41 goals per 90 minutes compared to a solid 0.94 last season — just the seventh-best record in Germany’s top flight.

Bayern cannot bemoan that misfortune, with their expected goals against (xGA) total only marginally better (29.5) than actual goals conceded (31).

What will Upamecano bring to Bayern?

Upamecano, 22, is a physically imposing presence at the back and his game continues to evolve. 

He has developed a tendency to win the ball higher up the field during the current campaign, managing 0.84 tackles in the middle third on average versus just 0.57 in 2019-20.  

But it is in possession that Upamecano really excels. 

He has completed an outstanding 89.1% of his passes this term and is remarkably comfortable with the ball at his feet, carrying it 70.3 times per 90 minutes this season. 

Changing of the guard  

This summer will mark the end of an era for Bayern’s defenders, with David Alaba and Jerome Boateng both set to leave the club.

Alaba is reported to have signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid, while Boateng is on Chelsea’s wishlist — meaning Flick’s squad will need more fresh blood at the back when the season ends.

Who else arrives in Munich remains to be seen but Upamecano's five-year deal with Die Roten suggests he is set to become the centrepiece of a new look defence at the Allianz Arena. 

Clean bill of health

While his Leipzig defensive partner Ibrahima Konate has been cursed with injuries during the formative years of his career, Upamecano has only missed more than a month of football on one occasion — when a knee injury kept him out of action for the second half of  2018-19.

That will be music to the ears of the Bayern faithful, who have seen centre-back Niklas Sule endure five separate injury-enforced absences since the beginning of last season.   

Will Upamecano be a successful signing?

Left-sided centre-back Lucas Hernandez has not been in the best of form, so there is certainly room for a new addition at the heart of Bayern's defence.

Upamecano is a remarkably raw defender and a move to the club world champions will test whether he has what it takes to become an elite centre-back. 

But as the Frenchman has years of development ahead of him and all the key attributes to make it at the top, Bayern will be hoping he can lead them into a new era of greatness.