Barcelona told €60m will be enough to sign Bundesliga star | OneFootball

Barcelona are determined to sign a new central defender in January, with sporting director Deco already working on identifying possible targets. In recent weeks, they have been linked with RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, who perfectly fits the profile wanted by Hansi Flick.

At 23, Lukeba would be someone that can develop a long-standing partnership with Pau Cubarsi, while he has already accumulated a lot of experience since appearing on the scene for Lyon five years ago. He’s left-sided, fast and comfortable with the ball at his feet, and this is why Barcelona have him on their radar for January and beyond.

However, it will be quite difficult for Barcelona to sign Lukeba, given that RB Leipzig are in no rush to sell. According to Fussball News (via CaughtOffside), the Bundesliga side want a fixed fee of €60m, with add-ons likely to take the total price up to €65m.

Lukeba will prioritise Barcelona over Premier League offers

The same offers notes that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all interested in signing Lukeba, but the player himself is keen to sign for Barcelona. Thus, the Catalans would be in a good position for negotiations with RB Leipzig, but they would encounter a problem for a possible January, being that they must sell someone first.

There is little doubt that Lukeba would be an excellent signing for Barcelona, but €60-65m is a lot of money to pay for a defender that cannot yet be considered “elite” – especially when taking into account the club’s financial restrictions. Right now, it’s more likely that a low-cost target is signed instead, with Deco having identified the likes of Arthur Dias (Athletico PR) and Ruud Nijstad (FC Twente) as players that the Catalans can bring to the Spotify Camp Nou without the need to move someone on first.