Aston Villa and Newcastle United are all set to battle it out with Chelsea and Real Madrid for the services of Castello Lukeba.
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Castello Lukeba’s future has become a big talking point. The young defensive sensation is on the wishlist of Aston Villa and Newcastle United who are all set to battle it out with the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Lukeba has only gone from strength to strength since making the move to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023. The young French centre-back established himself in their first team without much trouble and has been a consistent performer for over the past 12 months.
While the Olympique Lyon graduate’s contract at the German club runs until the summer of 2028, he is unlikely to be around for that long with multiple top clubs interested in his services. Clubs from across Europe are keen on his signature and they are looking to prise him away in the upcoming transfer window.
Chelsea and Real Madrid continue to monitor Lukeba
Chelsea’s new project revolves around signing the best young talent and they seem to be interested in the French centre-back who has only gone from strength to strength since moving to Germany. The Blues are preparing to make an offer for the defender as they look to reinforce their backline.
Real Madrid are also interested in the 21-year-old. They missed out on Leny Yoro during the summer and with David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger on the wrong side of 30, they need a young centre-back who can help them in the long run. Lukeba seems to be a good fit for them.
Aston Villa and Newcastle to push hard for Lukeba
Los Blancos have been closely monitoring him and if they do make their interest formal, other clubs will find it difficult to lure him to their club. For now, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also tracking his progress and looking to position themselves ahead of the queue for his signature.
Unai Emery seeks more depth at the back and feels Lukeba could be the perfect signing for the short as well as the long run. Meanwhile, Newcastle are looking to hold talks with the player’s representatives to further assess his situation.
Leipzig will demand around £60 million for their star defender which seems to be a bargain price for a player of his quality. While they are selling and will be open to sanctioning his departure for the right price, signing him in the winter is unlikely to be easy for any of the interested clubs as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist said: “At the moment, there’s nothing concrete to report concerning a Chelsea move for Castello Lukeba,” he noted in his exclusive Daily Briefing.
“There are no talks and no negotiations ongoing.
“Several top clubs have been following Lukeba for months, clubs from Spain and England… but after selling Simakan in August, I don’t think it will be easy at all for any club to sign Lukeba from Leipzig in January.”
The German club sold Mohamed Simakan in the summer and Romano feels there is no way they will let go of another of their key defenders in just six months time that too in the middle of a new season.
