According to a rumour, Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, is personally committed to signing one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga in the summer of 2026. The Gunners are certain they can close a deal, but there is fierce competition.
Arsenal boasts two of the world’s top centre-backs in William Saliba and Gabriel, with Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera serving as capable backups. However, Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, and Andrea Berta, the sporting director, are fully aware of the necessity to continuously improve the team.
Furthermore, Hincapie is merely on loan from Bayer Leverkusen; at the end of the current campaign, Arsenal has the choice, but not the duty, to finalise the transaction for £45 million (€51.7 million, $61.3 million). Castello Lukeba has been named by Arteta as Arsenal’s next top target, according to Sports Boom. “Lukeba has been identified as a priority target by Arteta to provide elite competition for Saliba and Gabriel,” according to the article.
Arsenal ready to go all out to sign Castello Lukeba
Castello Lukeba has become one of France’s top defensive players, living up to his talent. After finishing Lyon’s academy, the 23-year-old has been performing well for RB Leipzig since joining them in the summer of 2023. He could be moving now that he’s getting interest from a lot of top organisations.
The 23-year-old defender has drawn interest from teams like Liverpool and Chelsea, with Chelsea perhaps considering a summer deal. Although RB Leipzig is covered by a €80 million release clause in his contract, the recent revelation confirms prior reports that they might accept a lower price of about €60 million.
According to reports, Arsenal is interested in Lukeba and is certain that they can buy the left-sided defender for €60 million. The connections to the Leipzig star may create some uncertainty, since the Gunners have an abundance of excellent alternatives at the defence, particularly left-footers. It is hardly surprising that Arsenal is putting up a fight for Lukeba, who is among the best left-footed centre-backs in Europe.
