Liverpool are among the clubs who are interested in signing a “real talent” to bolster their defence, according to a new transfer update.
The Reds’ defence hasn’t looked remotely convincing so far this season, with Virgil van Dijk excellent on the whole, but others around him struggling.
Ibrahima Konate’s form has been a cause for concern, amid rumours of a move to Real Madrid, while new signings Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are still finding their feet. Conor Bradley isn’t at his best either.
Missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day was a huge shame, with Giovanni Leoni also picking up an ACL injury that will see him miss the rest of the season, so a new centre-back will be needed by next summer at the latest.
According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United are all in the mix to sign RB Leipzig central defender Castello Lukeba, among others.
His current club value him at £52m, which is far less than his £78m release clause, with Brus saying: “Lukeba has a release clause worth €90m, which clubs see as too high, but it’s largely symbolic anyway – the real asking price is more like €60m. Liverpool like him, but you can add Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Real Madrid to that list.”
Lukeba a defender with a huge future in the game
Lukeba is a fantastic young player who has already become such a key figure for Leipzig, with the 22-year-old among the Bundesliga’s best defenders.
He has averaged five clearances per game in the league this season, with former Lyon head coach Peter Bosz saying he has “real talent” and Max Eberl heaping praise on him, too:
“He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”
With Konate’s future up in the air and Van Dijk not getting any younger, Lukeba should stand out as a leading option for Liverpool, especially as he is available on the cheap, relatively speaking.
If the Reds were able to sign both him and Guehi, with Leoni returning to the fold next season, the middle of their back-line should be sorted for years to come.
