Chelsea ‘to move for’ £52m Castello Lukeba, blow to Leeds United’s January plans | OneFootball

Chelsea’s pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba could undermine Leeds United’s January hopes of landing El Chadaille Bitshiabu.

TeamTalk reports Chelsea are lining up Lukeba, with Leipzig open to around £52 million, and Bayern Munich and Liverpool also in the frame. Bild claims that if Lukeba leaves, Leipzig would promote Bitshiabu, considered a future star, into the starting line-up.

The end of the summer window centred on concerns that Daniel Farke lacked attacking options as he sought Premier League safety. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the best form of his career and a switch to a three-five-two, focus may be shifting.

Leeds have been linked with Bitshiabu in recent days. The towering centre-back has struggled for minutes in Germany.

With Sebastiaan Bornauw linked with a January move to FC Koln, Leeds may still need another defensive option.

Even so, they cannot ease off in attack despite Calvert-Lewin’s record-breaking run. Lukas Nmecha’s persistent injury shows how fragile the recovery could be, and if Calvert-Lewin were sidelined, Farke would be short of a focal point. The 49ers still need to prioritise attacking reinforcements.

Source: Leedsunited.news