Chelsea readying £48-52m January bid for Liverpool and Man United target | OneFootball

Chelsea are looking to sign the French defender Castello Lukeba from RB Leipzig. 

They have scouted the 22-year-old central defender this season, and the scouts have come up with glowing reviews of the defender.

Chelsea preparing Castello Lukeba move

Chelsea are looking to add more quality to the defensive unit, and they are prepared to submit an offer for him. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are prepared to submit an offer soon, and they are hoping to sign him in January. They could offer around £48-52 million.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Manchester United are monitoring the 22-year-old defender as well.

The report claims that the player has a release clause of £70 million, which will activate at the end of the season. However, the German club could look to sell him for a fee close to £52 million in January, if they fail to close in on the Champions League qualification positions.

Lukeba could fancy a move

Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

The opportunity to move to England could be quite exciting for Lukeba. It would be a major step up in his career. Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs around, and the opportunity to play for them will be quite attractive. Chelsea will be hoping to fight for major trophies in the coming seasons, and they need to tighten up at the back. The 22-year-old could prove to be an upgrade on some of the current options.

Similarly, Liverpool and Manchester United need defensive depth as well. They have looked quite vulnerable at the back, and they need to tighten up.

It will be interesting to see which of the three clubs decides to submit an official proposal in the coming weeks. £52 million might seem expensive for the young defender right now, but he is still only 22 with plenty of room for development. He could easily justify the investment in future.