Liverpool keen on £75m defender as RB Leipzig ready ‘mega transfer’
Arne Slot is already looking for ways to bolster his Liverpool backline this summer with uncertainty still raging at Anfield.
The Reds have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League this season as Slot‘s side continue their campaign across three fronts, but further reinforcements could be needed in the summer.
Virgil van Dijk is, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, yet to sign a new contract at Anfield as he enters the final months of his current deal, putting his future under a cloud.
Should Slot’s skipper elect to move on from Merseyside come the end of the season, not only would the Reds receive no transfer fee for him, but they’ll also have to spend big to secure a replacement.
Liverpool join £75m transfer race for Castillo Lukeba
If the unthinkable happens at Anfield this summer and Van Dijk does walk away for free, one potential option Liverpool could turn to is Castillo Lukeba, RB Leipzig’s 22-year-old centre-back.
German outlet SportBild reported in their print edition (15 February, page 30) that Leipzig are planning a “mega-transfer” for the once-capped French international, who has a release clause of £75m.
Lukeba signed a contract extension until 2029 with the Bundesliga side in October but isn’t worried about his new release clause deterring the Reds, Chelsea, Manchester United or Real Madrid – with the latter already declaring their interest in him last summer.
Castillo Lukeba price tag brings immediate questions for Liverpool
Defenders certainly don’t come cheap in the modern era – as the Reds found out when they paid £75m for Van Dijk back in 2018 – but the impact they make must be instant and long-lasting for such a price.
Liverpool broke the world transfer record for a defender when buying Van Dijk from Southampton, but given the gargantuan impact he’s made at Anfield, the Dutchman has been worth every penny.
At 22 years old, possessing just one French senior cap, and having never played at Premier League level could all be seen as red flags for Slot in his side’s pursuit of Lukeba, but £75m is now the going rate.
Furthermore, the chance of missing out on Lukeba – and seeing him strengthen either Chelsea or Manchester United in the process – could be a risk that Slot doesn’t deem worth taking.
The Reds’ transfer activity this summer, at least in central defence, seems to hinge on the futures of Van Dijk and possibly Ibrahima Konate too, and if either departs, expect their interest in Lukeba to ramp up.