Chelsea preparing €55m January bid for “classy” RB Leipzig star but face competition from Bayern Munich

Soccer Football – UEFA Champions League – Atalanta v Chelsea – Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy – December 9, 2025 Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca REUTERS/Matteo Ciambelli

Chelsea are tracking RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba. The 22-year-old has seen his stock rise for his performances for Leipzig and recently earned a full France call up.

Lukeba has a contract until 2029 that carries release clauses that drop progressively. Next summer the clause will sit at €80m (£70m), before falling to €65m (£57m) in 2027. TeamTalk has reported that Leipzig would listen to offers as low as €60m (£52m) this summer if they fall short of Champions League qualification, and Chelsea now hope to expedite that time frame.

The Blues are prepared to bid €55-60m (£48-52m) as early as January and believe personal terms would be straightforward. Since Leipzig are not playing European football this current season either, Chelsea hope to convince the player to request a move earlier than the summer as they can offer immediate Champions League football.

Enzo Maresca’s side are reeling from a long-term injury to Levi Colwill as well as the uncertain future of Axel Disasi. Chelsea scouts have highlighted Lukeba’s ball-playing ability, recovery pace, and dominance in the air, viewing him as the ideal modern defender.

Chelsea will face competition from Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga giants are huge admirers of Lukeba, and are keeping a shortlist for possible replacements for contract rebel Dayot Upamecano.

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl also helped bring Lukeba to Leipzig in 2023 when he worked for the club. Eberl retains a strong relationship with the player’s camp.

While Bayern’s priority is extending Dayot Upamecano’s contract, Lukeba is seen their top candidate for replacements should talks collapse. The player himself is understood to be a big admirer of the Bavarian giants and would be tempted by a return to the Champions League knockout stages.

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Real Madrid are also believed to be monitoring the player’s developments, but none of those clubs are expected to move before the summer.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.