Aston Villa are planning to strengthen their defence with an ambitious potential transfer move for RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba. The highly-rated 21-year-old is also attracting interest from elite clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.
Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Villa manager Unai Emery strongly appreciates Lukeba’s talents and considers him an ideal candidate for a transfer in the upcoming January transfer window. Villa hope that an early offer could fend off competition from other interested clubs, including Newcastle, who are also understood to be in the race for his signature.
However, Aston Villa face a significant challenge in securing Lukeba, as Leipzig are aware of the player's value and have set a price tag of around £60 million, which could prove to be too steep for the club. This valuation may strengthen Chelsea's position, considering their need for an upgrade in centre-back options.
As for Real Madrid, they are prioritising a centre-back signing for next summer, showing interest in Arsenal’s William Saliba and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero, but Lukeba could serve as a more realistic target given their current circumstances.
Aston Villa's impressive fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season and subsequent Champions League qualification demonstrate their ambition and ability to conduct successful transfers. It remains to be seen whether they can convince Lukeba to choose them over other high-profile suitors or if he will opt to explore additional options at the end of the season.