Arsenal have now opened talks to sign an "elite" £60m Bundesliga star, who has been identified as Mikel Arteta's priority target.
Gunners eyeing new defender amid quadruple push
It was a disappointing week for English clubs in the Champions League, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City falling to defeats on their travels, while Newcastle United were denied a victory against Barcelona at St. James' Park by Lamine Yamal's last-gasp penalty.
The Gunners, at the very least, managed to avoid defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, edging out a 1-1 draw, with Kai Havertz equalising from the spot late on, which means it is all to play for at the Emirates Stadium next week in the second leg.
Robert Andrich opened the scoring for the German side from a corner, and Arteta was critical of his side's lapse in concentration, saying: "There are always two sides to that. One is the element of the opponent that they picked that weakness, and that lack of attention or urgency in both situations, and the other one is us, because we knew, we showed them three clips from last weekend in three different ways, and we weren't ready for it, and we got caught."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
That said, the north Londoners are undoubtedly still the favourites to go through, and they are gearing up for what could be a very exciting end to the season, with a historic quadruple still on the cards.
Although it has been a fantastic campaign for Arsenal thus far, they remain keen on bringing in another defender this summer, with it last month being revealed RB Leipzig's Castello Lukeba has been identified as Arteta's priority target.
There has now been a new update on the Gunners' pursuit of Lukeba, with a report from L'Equipe revealing talks have been opened about a deal for the centre-back, who is keen on a move to either the Premier League or La Liga this summer.
One of Arteta's scouts was in attendance to watch the RB Leipzig star in action during a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund last month, but a deal could be on the pricey side, with the German club set to hold out for as much as €70m (£60m).
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The Frenchman's performances in the Bundesliga this season suggest he is a well-rounded defender, having averaged 62.7 accurate passes per 90, the highest number in the RB Leipzig squad, with an average of 1.4 interceptions per 90 ranking him in third place.
During his time in Ligue 1, the former Lyon man was also praised for his ability to win back possession by scout Ben Mattinson, who said: "Outstanding timing of last man tackles. In the box he has a quality understanding of when to go to ground or when to stay on his feet and jockey. Lukeba’s body positioning in 1v1’s is elite, a true lockdown defender for the trickiest wingers."
The 23-year-old has now gained plenty of experience in both France and Germany, making 68 appearances for Lyon, and 95 for RB Leipzig, with his displays this season indicating he could be ready to test himself in the Premier League.
That said, it wouldn't be a major blow if Arsenal missed out on Lukeba, given that they already have William Saliba and Gabriel, while there has been a new update on Piero Hincapie joining permanently...