La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly reluctant to fork out €50-55 million to sign 22-year-old French defender Castello Lukeba from RB Leipzig this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Castello Lukeba is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The reigning La Liga champions are combing the market for a centre-back heading into the summer transfer window. So, the RB Leipzig defender has emerged as a target for Los Blancos.
Meanwhile, the Bundesliga outfit will demand around €50-55 million to part ways with the French defender in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid will unlikely meet RB Leipzig’s valuation, and they will prefer to spend that much to sign Lukeba’s compatriot William Saliba from Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
The rise and rise of Castello Lukeba in the Bundesliga
Castello Lukeba has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga since joining RB Leipzig from Lyon in August 2023. The 22-year-old has come leaps and bounds in the last two years, and he was part of the squad that reached the football final at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won the silver medal after losing to Spain.
The Frenchman has turned out over 50 times thus far for RB Leipzig while chipping in with one goal. Meanwhile, Lukeba’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe. An adventure in La Liga might be on the cards for the young centre-back, with Real Madrid among the prospective suitors vying for his signature heading into the summer transfer window.
La Liga adventure beckons?
Real Madrid’s interest in Castello Lukeba is understandable. The reigning La Liga champions are keen on reinforcing their central defensive unit in the summer transfer window amid the injury crisis they have suffered this season. In addition, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are on the wrong side of 30.
So, Lukeba has emerged as a viable target for Real Madrid, with the 22-year-old RB Leipzig star keen on joining the Spanish club. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga club will demand around €50-55 million to part ways with the Frenchman, a valuation that has left Los Blancos in a spot of bother.
The Merengues do not want to cough up €50-55 million to sign Lukeba. Instead, they are ready to pay that much to land William Saliba, although securing the Arsenal defensive mainstay’s services for €50-55 million is highly improbable, if not impossible.