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20 year old Castello Lukeba has joined RB Leipzig with immediate effect from Olympique Lyon.
The centre-back will wear the number 23 and has signed a five-year contract.
RB Leipzig managing director for sport Max Eberl said, “Castello Lukeba was our number one target for the centre-back position. We have been interested in Castello for a while now. His style of play will fit perfectly into our side and he will be a key part of our squad. Despite being just 20, he’s already developed a lot and is one of the most talented young defenders in Europe.”
“He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”
“The negotiations were quite long-winded, but sometimes that’s just how it is. We obviously would have liked to have signed him during pre-season, but at least we have completed the transfer before the start of the league campaign. We have managed to secure the player we desperately wanted and Castello is joining the club he really wanted to move to as well.”
The 20-year-old came through Olympique Lyon’s academy after arriving in 2011 and made his professional debut in Ligue 1 aged just 18 on August 7, 2021.
Castello developed into a key player for Lyon over the last two seasons, playing 58 times in the top division in France – completing the full game on 55 occasions. He scored four league goals (2 headers, 2 with his left foot).
The defender has featured six times in the UEFA Europa League (2021/22) and currently plays for France U-21s alongside Mohamed Simakan. He made his debut for them on March 28, 2022 and has won 10 caps to date.
Castello Lukeba said, “I was extremely keen on joining RB Leipzig and moving to the Bundesliga, so I’m really happy that the move is now complete. I’m excited by the training ground, the stadium, the city and, above all, the team with all the young players– I can’t wait to play football here. As a result of all that, I knew that the move to Leipzig was absolutely the right one for me.”
“I’m joining an exciting team and a club with lots of ambition. RB Leipzig stands for a particular style of football and for a constant upward journey. This is a great place for young players to develop at the highest level, as a number of French players have already proven in the past.”
“The league starts next week, which makes it even more important that I settle in quickly to be able to help the team.”
