Several European clubs including Liverpool want RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba to bolster their defensive options and enjoy long-term security. The 21-year-old has established himself as the regular first-team player since joining the German club from Lyon in 2023 summer.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have fortified their defence under the new tactics of head coach Arne Slot during this season’s early stages. Liverpool have played captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as the primary defensive options, making a few rotational changes.
Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez are the other two defensive options and have played one game, the Carabao Cup match. Liverpool beat West Ham 5-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup with Quansah and Gomez in the defence.
The Reds have only conceded four goals from 10 games in all competitions until now, winning nine of those games. Liverpool will apply a more rotation policy after the October international break as the long-congested fixture period commences for everyone.
Nevertheless, the Reds need to secure the left centre-back department with captain Van Dijk playing at 33 years of age. Furthermore, Liverpool lacks a naturally left-footed centre-back in their squad irrespective of Van Dijk’s and Gomez’s calibre to play there.
According to Fichajes, Liverpool and several other top European clubs want Lukeba from Leipzig in the future transfer window. The 21-year-old has attracted interest from several clubs including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Aston Villa as he continues to shine.
Standing at 1.84 metres, Lukeba is a typical modern-day defender with immense ability in and out of possession. The France international has the physical attribute to win a high number of one-on-one ground duels for his team.
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However, the 21-year-old lacks that aerial dominance that Liverpool desires in their centre-backs as that quality is very important. Nevertheless, Lukeba’s incredible positional awareness, decision-making and timing of defensive actions make him a dominant defender.
Lukeba is a brilliant ball carrier and distributor of passes in possession, playing a pivotal role in his team’s buildup. The 21-year-old’s high level of consistency and reliability has earned him a lot of respect at such a young age.
