Chelsea have a new priority target! €60m bid ready

Robin Bairner

11 Dec 2025 07:45 GMT
4 min read

Chelsea are preparing for the January transfer window and have earmarked a new signing priority less than three weeks before the market reopens.

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Enzo Maresca’s side have had an up-and-down campaign, which continued in midweek as they suffered a shock 2-1 loss against Atalanta in the Champions League.

The Blues’ recent issues, which have seen them failed to win any of their last four matches across all competitions, have been typified by defensive struggles. They conceded three at Leeds and then a couple in Bergamo, while over the course of the campaign as a whole, they have leaked 27 times in 23 games.

Current ETV

Castello Lukeba

D (CL)

RB Leipzig

Castello Lukeba

D (CL)

RB Leipzig

ETV Range

€39.7M - €48.5M

Mindful of the importance of a solid defence in trophy-winning sides, Maresca is scouring the market for opportunities at centre-back and believes he has found one in the form of RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, Fichajes reports.

Chelsea have made the 22-year-old former Lyon player “a priority target” and are preparing a bid worth around €55-60 million.

The West London club see this as a fair price due to the potential of the young Frenchman, whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €44.1 million.

Castello Lukeba: Why is the RB Leipzig centre-back a signing priority for Chelsea?

Chelsea want to build a modern defence and they see Lukeba as the type of player who is capable of helping them do that. He is an athletic defender, combining speed and physicality with a strong game in the air and excellent reading of the game.

Crucially, he is also capable with the ball at his feet while the Stamford Bridge side also believes that he will be able to adapt immediately, which is essential for any January arrival.

Data analytics experts SciSports are somewhat more sceptical over whether this would be an effective move for Lukeba. Its Career Advice tool only gives the young defender a Club Fit score of 62 based on their algorithm, which looks at a wide variety of variables before assessing the likelihood of a deal being a success.

© IMAGO/FootballTransfers - Castello Lukeba, Chelsea Club Fit

In Lukeba’s case, Chelsea are a strong fit in terms of Maresca’s playing style, but SciSports doubts his ability to make an immediate impact, indicating he will struggle to get playing time and suggesting Stamford Bridge isn’t the best location for him to develop.

By contrast, Unai Emery’s in-form Aston Villa are seen as an ideal destination for the RB Leipzig star, with the Birmingham side scoring an impressive 83.

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