In a recent report, Jeunes Footeux claimed that Chelsea are set to rival Manchester United in pursuit of Olympique Lyonnais defender Castello Lukeba. It has been revealed that the Blues are one of many clubs monitoring the progress of the French centre-back.
Lukeba’s Recent Rise In French Football
The Lyon-born talent defensive ace has proven himself to be a consistent performer in Ligue 1. Lukeba has made 16 appearances for the French club this season, scoring two goals in the process across all competitions.
The 19-year-old has caught the eye by averaging 1.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game in Ligue 1. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back after making 90% of his attempted passes in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Lukeba The Right Fit For Chelsea?
Lukeba can use his strong 1.84m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air and is a solid tackler of the ball. He can time his challenges well to earn possession back on the defensive end of the field.
The French whizkid is also proficient at playing his way out from the back but is still quite inexperienced at the highest level. Lukeba is primarily a central defender but can even fill in as a left-back if required. However, there are some concerns over whether he would be able to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of English football.
At 19, the future is quite bright for the Lyon youngster, so the Blues would do well to acquire his services during the summer transfer window. He will add more depth to Thomas Tuchel‘s defence and could help the West London club challenge for major trophies in the coming seasons.
Lukeba could serve as an ideal long-term replacement for Antonio Rudiger if Chelsea fail to keep the German defender at the club beyond this summer. With all things considered, the Ligue 1 prospect will be a good fit for the Blues to pursue when the transfer window commences later this year.
