Castello Lukeba is back on Barcelona’s radar as the club looks to sign a left-footed centre-back for next season. Barça have been tracking the French defender at RB Leipzig for some time, but a change of agent has now prompted initial talks.
The 23-year-old is under contract until 2029. Despite interest from Premier League clubs, Lukeba would prefer a move to Spain, with Barcelona among his preferred destinations.
According to Sport, Lukeba has switched to Excellence Sport Nation, the agency that also represents Barcelona defender Jules Koundé. The move came after his previous agents failed to secure a transfer away from Leipzig last summer.
His new representative met with Barcelona sporting director Deco in late October. They discussed Lukeba’s situation, the potential cost of a deal and the terms on which negotiations could move forward. The defender had already been under consideration at Barça for some time.
Lukeba is willing to stay at Leipzig until the end of the season, when his release clause drops from €80 million to €65 million. That reduction gives Barcelona more room to negotiate, with Leipzig determined to keep him through the winter transfer window.
Leipzig could accept an offer slightly below the release clause and give Barcelona some flexibility over the payment schedule. The two clubs struck a similar deal for Dani Olmo in the summer of 2024, when Leipzig showed flexibility over the payment terms.
On the pitch, Lukeba would give Barcelona a left-footed centre-back comfortable playing out from the back. He played all 270 minutes across his first three Champions League appearances this season, completing 92.34% of his passes.
Lukeba is ready to do his part to make the move happen if Barcelona decide to pursue it. The summer of 2027 will show how far Leipzig are willing to go and whether Barça can put an offer on the table.
