Arsenal identify potential William Saliba replacement but face £80m battle with Liverpool and Chelsea: Reports
According to a report by The Boot Room, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea are set to compete to sign RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba. The defender is one of the most exciting prospects in his position and has attracted interest from clubs across Europe.
The report suggests that the young defender could cost any interested side up to £80 million, with the highly rated defender being compared to star defender William Saliba.
The Frenchman debuted at 17 in the 2021-22 season for Olympique Lyon against Brest before joining his current club in the summer of 2023 for a reported €30 million. Lukeba has also been linked with a potential move to Real Madrid.
The Premier League trio of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea could be heading into a bidding war for his services. The 21-year-old has played 53 games for RB Leipzig since his arrival and is contracted to the Bundesliga outfit until the summer of 2029.
Who is Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea target Castello Lukeba?
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea are linked with potential moves for RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, but who is the highly rated Frenchman? The 21-year-old defender is a highly-rated young defender who has won admirers in Germany for his commanding performances.
Top-quality left-footed center-backs are a luxury in modern football, with many top teams vying to acquire players with those characteristics. Bayern Munich's sporting director, Max Eberl, who worked with Lukeba during his stint in Leipzig, said the following about the defender (via the official Bundesliga website):
“He is left-footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”
Despite his age, Lukeba has played 121 professional games for Olympique Lyon and RB Leipzig. He has shown impressive resilience to injury, missing only seven games to injury so far.
His impressive traits and performances have helped his side maintain an airtight defense in the Bundesliga, conceding the fewest in the division after eight games, three. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea will monitor the defender to see if a move can be arranged for his services in the upcoming windows.
