Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba for €90m, while Real Madrid are preparing to step up their efforts to sign Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
- Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, says Bild. Lukeba, 22, has struggled with injury this season but is highly rated and he has a €90m release clause in his contract which comes into effect in the summer. The France international moved to Germany for €34m in 2023 and has a host of top teams on his trail, with Real Madrid and Liverpool also reported to be keen. Meanwhile, a report from journalist Simon Phillips has suggested that if United decide to cut their losses on €62m defender Leny Yoro, then Chelsea are ready to make an offer.
- Efforts to sign Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to be stepped up by Real Madrid, reports The Telegraph. It is believed that Los Blancos are continuing their efforts to tempt the 26-year-old to the Santiago Bernabéu, amid plans to use an "all-or-nothing" approach to sign him on a free transfer in the summer. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal are reported to be leading the race to sign Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. Al Hilal boss Jorge Jesus wants the 32-year-old to replace the departed Neymar and the club are ready to offer him a huge contract, but iNews reports that given the length of time it has taken so far, clubs from Saudi Arabia are not confident of landing Salah and feel like they are being used as leverage in his negotiations over a new deal at Anfield.
- Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah will become Barcelona's first summer signing despite strong competition from Bayern Munich, reports Mundo Deportivo. While nothing has been signed as of yet, the 29-year-old is understood to have chosen Barça as his next club once his current contract expires in June. The move would see Tah reunite with head coach Hansi Flick, who previously worked with the defender in his role as Germany manager.
- Chelsea have made contact with Ipswich Town regarding a potential move for striker Liam Delap, The Athletic reports. Manchester United could also enter the race to sign the 22-year-old this summer, who is viewed as a more affordable alternative to Viktor Gyökeres.
- Juventus are set to move forward with plans to offer USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie a new contract, reports Calciomercato. Despite McKennie signing a new deal at the Allianz Stadium last summer, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is said to be keen to reward him for his form this season under manager Thiago Motta, and the Bianconeri are preparing an offer that will secure the 26-year-old's future at the club until either 2028 or 2029.
CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
- Young Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí has signed a new deal at the club until June 2029. Read
- Arsenal women's captain Kim Little has extended her contract with the north London club until June 2026. Read
- AC Monza have signed former Internazionale forward Keita Baldé on a free transfer.
- LA Galaxy have signed striker Christian Ramirez from Columbus Crew for an undisclosed fee.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN's resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen explores why Castello Lukeba is in demand.
An ever-present on the scouting radar of elite European clubs, the left-footed centre-back stands out for his proactive style of defending, coupled with electrifying pace, mobility and a passing game of a high standard.
Despite attracting a lot of interest following his impressive performances for Lyon and the France U21 side, Lukeba rather surprisingly opted to join the Bundesliga side in July 2023. Leipzig, safe in the knowledge that Lukeba would command a much higher transfer value with added Bundesliga exposure, can look back on another sensible acquisition.
Being an excellent ball-playing centre-back, Lukeba usually takes charge of the constructive tasks in the defensive line. His progressive pass accuracy of 70% hasn't gone unnoticed, but his regular progressive runs also place him within the top 10% brackets of Bundesliga defenders. Furthermore, his balanced mix of desirable attributes: pace to compete in sprint duels, agility, game-reading and defensive resoluteness also make for a defender who can be equally useful in a low-sitting side or one that presses high up the pitch.
Tactically flexible, Lukeba can also easily prevail in a central-defensive partnership or a back-three. He's even stood out as a left-back for the France U21 side. He rarely gets booked -- with only four yellow cards in the Bundesliga since joining the club -- and commits a mere 0.5 fouls per 90 minutes. Though he's only got one senior cap for France, the 22-year-old would most likely have been selected in the recent squad if wasn't for recent injury troubles.
OTHER RUMORS
Gab Marcotti says Juventus will be thankful to have goalscorer Weston McKennie on the team, despite attempts to move him out of the club in the transfer window.
- Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton has returned from injury and the 21-year-old is on the radar of Manchester City. (Football Insider)
- Manchester United are set to sign 17-year-old Sporting CP full-back Geovany Quenda for around €60m in the summer, with the player keen on a move to Old Trafford. (TEAMtalk)
- Arsenal opted not to recall forward Fabio Vieira, 24, from his loan spell at FC Porto after Bukayo Saka first got injured. (Athletic)
- Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 27, is a target for Lyon and Atletico Madrid. (Caught Offside)
- Barcelona sporting director Deco expects teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to remain at the club "for many years" and says the club have not listened to any offers toi sign the 17-year-old because the player is not on the market. (TV3)
- Grêmio have agreed to sign LAFC winger Cristian Olivera. The Brazilian Serie A club are reported to have acquired "75% of the pass" to field the 22-year-old for a fee worth $4.5m, and both teams are preparing final documents before the move can become official. (Cesar Luis Merlo)
- Pachuca star Oussama Idrissi has admitted that he was very close to joining Club America a few months ago, but it didn't work out. (ESPN Deportes)
- Chelsea and Bayern Munich are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens in the summer. (Bild)
- Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior is set to consider a move to join the Saudi Pro League. (Marca)
- Newcastle United are confident that defender Fabian Schär will sign a contract extension to remain at St James' Park beyond this summer. (Football Insider)
- Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is not on Manchester United's list of transfer targets despite reports to the contrary. (Manchester Evening News)
- FC Midtjylland rejected a "big proposal" in January from FC Porto for winger Mikel Gogorza. (Footmercato)
- Atlético Madrid will compete with a host of Premier League clubs to try and sign Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer. (Ekrem Konur)
- Benfica have denied approaches from the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool for duo Àlvaro Carreras and Tomás Araujo. (JN)
- Dayot Upamecano is "getting closer" to signing a new contract with Bayern Munich until 2029. The deal could include a clause to extend it by a further year to 2030. (Nicolo Schira)