RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba has been a revelation this season and has sparked interest from the first division in almost no time.
french font RMC Sport (via 90min) has complained that the 21-year-old is “being watched” by Liverpool and manchester united facing 2025, while Reports of caught offside that Chelsea They are also interested in signing the youngster.
Lukeba has a £75m release clause in his contract with Leipzig and with demand for his services increasing, the Bundesliga side are likely to demand payment of the sum rather than being prepared for negotiations. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if clubs from other leagues in Europe are also interested in his signing.
Competition between Chelsea and Liverpool likely
If a three-way battle ensues between Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, the Red Devils are likely to be the first to bow out. They have spent a lot of money on companies like Harry MaguireLeny Yoro, Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt in recent times and consequently, signing a centre-back may not be a priority for them.
Chelsea have also invested heavily, but don't seem to shy away from exceeding their own spending, especially when it comes to younger players. Furthermore, Lukeba is arguably a better defender than any of their current options and, as a result, could be a valuable addition to the Blues' squad despite his lucrative price tag.
Meanwhile, Liverpool could be the favorites to sign him as their best centre-back, Virgil van Dijk, is over 30 and they have big shoes to fill in the role following the departure of Joe Gomez also earlier this summer. . Lukeba joins a list of numerous targets being sought by the Reds and it will be interesting to see where he falls on their priority list.
It remains to be seen if people like Arsenal, city of manchester and Tottenham Hotspur were also interested in him during the transfer window, in which case the race for his signature could be an attractive affair.