Chelsea are now set to make another move for Castello Lukeba after seeing a £38m bid rejected in 2022.
That is according to But Football Club in France.
So, what are the details involving Chelsea and Castello Lukeba? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well – according to L’Equipe – the Blues made a £38m bid for the Lyon No.4 in the summer of 2022.
However, the offer was rejected, and Lukeba ended up staying with the French giants.
The 20-year-old has continued to develop well at Lyon, making 34 appearances in Ligue 1 throughout the 2022/23 campaign, with his superb displays keeping Chelsea interested.
But Football Club believe the Blues remain attentive to Lukeba’s situation, and are ready to try again as he currently hesitates over signing a new contract.
The French news outlet state that Chelsea currently lead the race to sign the France Under-21 international.
But Football Club add that Lyon are hoping to receive at least €50m (£43m) for Lukeba, but they could even demand more if Rayan Cherki is sold first, as the Ligue 1 side feel they have a very rare commodity on their hands in the talented centre-back.
Who is Chelsea target Castello Lukeba?
The Lyon-born defender is not exactly a household name, yet, so you may not know too much about him.
If that is the case, then a comparison to a better-known footballer may help.
Interestingly, Lukeba has been compared to RB Leipzig and Croatia colossus Josko Gvardiol by Dejan Lovren.
The Croatian told Keep Up: “Frankly, he’s a very, very, very good player with the qualities to one day be one of the best defenders. I can compare him with Gvardiol. He has everything.
“He is very, very young, and he still needs to work a lot. I am there for him, to give him advice. He is a player that I really get a lot from playing with. He understands quickly.”
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as the summer of 2023 could see Chelsea finally get their hands on Lukeba.
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