Man Utd eye 'next Gvardiol' amid Varane uncertainty

Cameron Smith

17 Nov 2023 10:08 GMT
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Josko Gvardiol — © ProShots

Manchester United are still interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba after pursuing the Frenchman this summer.

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Lukeba, 20, joined Leipzig from Olympique Lyonnais during the summer window after Man Utd had registered interest. The Red Devils opted against lodging a bid for the talented centre-back and he moved to Germany for €30 million instead.

Despite his recent move, Man Utd remain keen on signing Lukeba as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his backline.

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Lisandro Martinez is currently sidelined through injury, while Raphael Varane has been dropped to the bench in recent weeks, with veteran Jonny Evans taking his place in the starting XI.

Varane’s struggles at Old Trafford come amid Saudi Pro League interest, which was exclusively reported by FootballTransfers in early November.

After scouting Lukeba during the summer, Man Utd have continued to monitor his progress at Leipzig, as per German outlet Bild.

Lukeba has impressed since his Bundesliga switch and is a key reason Leipzig have only conceded 10 league goals so far this campaign (joint-second best in the division).

Castello Lukeba - the next Josko Gvardiol?

Lukeba joined Leipzig as the club’s Josko Gvardiol replacement, following the Croatian’s €90m summer move to Manchester City, and the official Bundesliga website compared the France U21 international to the man he replaced before his Leipzig debut.

Upon Lukeba’s arrival at Leipzig, the Bundesliga website profiled the Frenchman and wrote: “As well as being a very modern left-sided central defender, Lukeba's reading of the game, timing in the tackle, physicality and ability to distribute the ball from the back are reminiscent of a certain Gvardiol.

“Good news for Leipzig, given the Croatia international's rise from hot prospect to world-class centre-back in his short time at the Red Bull Arena.”

While Man Utd have registered their interest in signing Lukeba, prying him away from Leipzig may be a tricky task given his current contract runs until 2028 and the fact he only joined this summer.

Any move may have to wait until 2025 or later, in that case, unless the Red Devils are willing to fork out a considerable amount more than the €30m Leipzig paid Lyon in August.