Barcelona: French defender tracked by Arsenal and Chelsea takes step towards move, January deal unlikely

Castello Lukeba wants to articulation Barcelona and has taken a measurement towards the Catalan club. Although Barcelona are looking to motion a centre-back successful the adjacent wintertime transportation window, the accomplishment of the Frenchman appears unlikely.

Barcelona privation to sign a centre-back this winter and person respective players successful their sights, including Natan and Alessandro Bastoni. Rumours are multiplying astir the Catalan club’s search. Sport now reports that Lukeba has been 1 of the centre-backs attracting the astir attraction astatine Barcelona for immoderate time.

The French centre-back wants to permission RB Leipzig soon to articulation a European heavyweight. To that end, the erstwhile Lyon subordinate has decided to alteration agent. The 23-year-old has signed with Excellence Sport, a prime that is acold from insignificant arsenic it is the aforesaid bureau arsenic Jules Kounde.

Lukeba’s caller cause has spoken to Deco

The Catalan media outlet indicates that Lukeba wants to articulation Barcelona and is making a wide measurement towards the nine with this choice.

His caller cause already met Deco astir 10 days ago. However, adjacent if the involvement is communal and the French planetary is simply a unanimous prime astatine Barcelona, a woody is not expected to hap successful the adjacent wintertime transportation window.

Indeed, Leipzig person made it wide that they volition not fto Lukeba permission mid-season. The fiscal conditions volition not beryllium successful spot successful January either for specified an concern by the Spanish champions. The adjacent summertime transportation model could beryllium the perfect time, since the Frenchman’s merchandise clause volition driblet from £68m (€80m) to £55m (€65m) successful June 2027.

Chelsea and Arsenal are also reportedly monitoring the Frenchman, whose declaration runs until June 2029.

Barcelona volition not motion Lukeba this winter

That magnitude could inactive beryllium negotiable provided the subordinate intelligibly expresses his tendency to play successful Catalonia.

The erstwhile Lyon player, who interests respective large Premier League clubs, considers Barcelona his perfect destination. ‘For now, contacts person started and Barcelona person enactment his sanction successful superior letters successful lawsuit this transportation is imaginable this summer,’ says Sport.

Lukeba’s accomplishment astatine Barcelona this summertime could beryllium financed by the departure of Ronald Araujo to Liverpool, arsenic the Reds look acceptable to trigger his £46m (€55m) acquisition option.

Before the adjacent summertime window, the Catalan nine is truthful looking for different left-footed centre-back who could get this wintertime connected tenable fiscal terms.