Manchester United target Castello Lukeba is planning a “mega transfer” away from RB Leipzig this summer, according to reports in Germany.
Tabloid Bild say that the Frenchman has a €90m (£75m) release clause in his contract and both the player and his agents want to manufacture a move during the next transfer window.
Lukeba has been on United’s radar for quite some time, with their interest first becoming known when it was claimed they were scouting the player all the way back in November 2023.
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However, Bild report that Chelsea and Liverpool have also “expressed an interest” in the 22-year-old along with Real Madrid.
What do fans need to know about the defender?
Lukeba came through Lyon’s famed academy, having joined them as a youngster from Laval in 2011. He made his way up the ranks until he was handed his first-team debut in a league game against Stade Brestois at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.
The centre-back played 68 times for the Ligue One club before Leipzig snapped him up for €30m at the start of last season. A couple of months later, he was handed his first cap by France.
United have several options to strengthen the backline
Lukeba is not the only centre-half who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks. Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is said to one of the alternatives, along with Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande.
There is also the potential for the Red Devils to revive their interest in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. The club had several bids knocked back for the defender last summer.
Considering that Branthwaite’s asking price is said to be £75m, he would cost a similar amount to Lukeba. It could, therefore, come down to which player head coach Ruben Amorim prefers.
Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here