Castello Lukeba is back on Barcelona’s radar. The Leipzig defender’s name has returned to the forefront of the club’s thinking.
Sport newspaper report that Lukeba would be ready to give his approval to a Barcelona move, should the Catalan club act in the upcoming winter window or in the summer of 2027.
Transfer market expert Ekrem Konur confirms Barcelona are still tracking the left-footed Frenchman. Hansi Flick has good reports on him and appears convinced he can adapt to the Barcelona style. Lukeba, for his part, would prioritise any interest from the Catalans over the Premier League clubs who enquired about him last summer.
Barcelona’s sporting management wanted to strengthen the defensive line last summer, and Deco even held a meeting with Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni. Flick, though, ultimately rejected the idea of signing a left-footed defender.
Aymeric Laporte was among the defenders offered to Barcelona, along with Cristian Romero, who ended up joining Atletico Madrid as Barcelona stalled. Lukeba’s name landed on the management’s table too. The club had already enquired about the terms of a deal, but the talks never went beyond that.
At 23, Lukeba is one of the most promising defenders on the market, and Barcelona know full well that signing him would be a big deal for the present and the future.
Christensen’s injury has now forced Barcelona to study their options. The plan, though, is not to make additional signings in January unless the club can complete a major sale, given how tricky the winter window tends to be.
According to Konur, Leipzig may be willing to let Lukeba leave for a fee close to 65 million euros, though the figure could drop below that. The player is now largely determined to end his spell in Germany.
Physical strength and pace set Lukeba apart, along with his ability to build play from the back. He came through the Olympique Lyon youth ranks before Leipzig signed him at just 20 for 30 million euros, and he has built a strong reputation ever since.
Internationally, Lukeba has become a key figure for France. Muscular problems kept him out of Zinedine Zidane’s first squad, but the new manager made clear he is counting on him going forward.
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