Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Castello Lukeba “could leave” RB Leipzig at the end of the season, Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed.
Jeremy Jacquet may be coming in from Rennes once the summer transfer window opens, but one central defender isn’t enough for the Reds, following a season of struggles.
It remains to be seen if Ibrahima Konate will sign a new deal at Liverpool, with his contract ticking down as the summer approaches, while Virgil van Dijk turns 35 years of age later this year.
A host of centre-backs have been mentioned as options for the Merseysiders, with £69.8m-rated Leipzig ace Lukeba one of them, having been hailed as an “elite centre-back in the making” by scout Jacek Kulig.
Now, writing on X, Plettenberg has offered Liverpool a fresh boost in their efforts to sign the Frenchman this summer, with an exit on the Bundesliga side potentially on the cards, as he looks to kick on in his career:
“Castello Lukebacould leave RB Leipzig this summer after three years, with both sides open to a move. The club would accept around €65-70m, below his €80m release clause. 23 y/o Lukeba is keen on a new challenge, and his future now depends on incoming offers.”
Castello Lukeba to join alongside Jeremy Jacquet?
In Lukeba, Liverpool would be signing a brilliant young defender who could not only be a great long-term option but also an immediate key player.
At just 23, he has already made 165 appearances for Leipzig and Lyon combined, while at international level, he has six caps to his name for France, no doubt hoping to feature for them at the 2026 World Cup.
It could even be argued that Castello has a higher ceiling than Konate, with the Leipzig man three years his junior, so he and Jacquet could end up being the future of Liverpool’s defence, along with the injured Giovanni Leoni.
Van Dijk can’t go on forever, while Konate and Joe Gomez could easily both depart in the summer window, and there is little not to like about Lukeba coming in as a replacement and growing into a future leader at Anfield.