Arsenal have set their sights on bringing RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba to the Premier League this summer.
That’s according to reliable French newspaper L’Equipe, who cover Arsenal’s interest and the centre-back’s stance on the summer transfer.
The France international climbed through the ranks of Lyon’s academy. He spent two years with the Ligue 1 side’s first team before leaving them for Leipzig in August 2023.
He quickly cemented his place at the Bundesliga side and has featured regularly when available for selection.
The defender has played 95 matches in all competitions for Leipzig, of which 23 are from this season.
Arsenal official followed Lukeba
Last month, the Gunners sent a scout to Germany to watch Castello Lukeba live in action against Borussia Dortmund. The match ended in a 2-2 draw and the left footed defender played the full 90 minutes.
The Arsenal official appears to have gathered positive reports about the Frenchman. This would have convinced Mikel Arteta’s side to take the necessary steps to try and bring him to the Emirates in the summer.
L’Equipe’s title states the north London club are ‘working’ on signing Lukeba. The newspaper explains the Gunners have initiated discussions. It’s not made clear whether the contact was made with his agent, Leipzig or both.
Frenchman aiming for summer exit
Castello Lukeba
Castello Lukeba
As things stand, Arsenal haven’t submitted an offer to either the player or his club.
The expectation is for Lukeba to leave the German club after this season and the Premier League, and La Liga are his preferred destinations.
This would please Arsenal, provided they decide to make further advances to secure his services.
Last year, Sport Witness relayed claims from France that he has a €90m release clause. The price has been lowered as Leipzig now hope to collect between €60-70m for Lukeba in the next window. Transfermarkt now value him at €45m.
Our take: Lukeba interest could be clear sign
Arteta now has William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié as the four centre-backs at his disposal.
However, the manager has utilised the Ecuadorian mainly as a left-back rather than in the heart of defence.
The interest could be a sign that he will take Hincapié’s place in the centre-back position. If this happens, the South American will be move to the left-back slot.
Christian Nørgaard has spoken this week about Mikel Arteta looking to change his position from a midfielder to a defender, indicating the manager feels there’s a gap there.
L’Equipe is a reliable French newspaper, but it’s worth considering where they’ve sourced this information. Castello Lukeba was born in Lyon and is represented by BS Group International, who almost exclusively have France-related clients.
Given Arsenal’s potential need, this could be an effort to link a client with that. The coming months will show what the Gunners’ true intentions are.
🇩🇰 Christian Nørgaard | Arteta meeting over position change
✅ All being taken positively by midfielder
✈️ Denmark manager also travelled to be involved
💬 Arsenal player explains what happened + his stancehttps://t.co/2WdAhZwNzz #afc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 10, 2026