Castello Lukeba: Who is RB Leipzig's latest centre-back star?
Castello Lukeba has developed into a rock at the heart of RB Leipzig's backline. bundesliga.com profiles the highly rated French youngster...
Stats correct as of 23 September 2023
Age: 21 (born 17 December 2002)
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Centre-back
Country: France (one cap)
Key stats
When Joško Gvardiol departed the Red Bull Arena for Manchester City, Leipzig were left with a huge defensive hole to fill. In Lukeba, though, they have again found a rough diamond that they were able to polish into a gem. The Frenchman slot straight into the heart of the back four after his arrival from Lyon in the summer of 2023 and made 32 appearances, helping Leipzig record the joint-second best defence in the Bundesliga by conceding just 29 goals.
By that point, Lukeba had already been one of the standout defenders in France's Ligue 1 in 2022/23. Making 33 starts for Lyon, the left-footed centre-back was in the top 99th percentile for interceptions and top 89th for passes completed. Impressively, it was only his second full season in the top flight, the 6'0" youngster having made his senior bow in August 2021.
Lukeba helped Lyon record 12 clean sheets in his 58 Ligue 1 outings, including a 1-0 win over a Paris Saint-Germain team boasting Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi on 2 April 2023. Internationally, he has been a mainstay for the France U21s, winning 17 caps since debuting in March 2022, and also played all six games as France won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In October 2023, he was even rewarded with his maiden senior cap, playing three minutes of the 4-1 friendly win over Scotland - you feel it is only a matter of time before he picks up more.
Watch: The best of Castello Lukeba in the Bundesliga
Plays a bit like: Joško Gvardiol
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. No wonder Leipzig turned to the Lyon native when the Croatian made his move to the English Premier League.
Did you know?
Lukeba is a product of Lyon's acclaimed youth academy, once home to the likes of Karim Benzema, former Bayern Munich World Cup-winning midfielder Corentin Tolisso and Borussia Mönchengladbach forward Alassane Plea.
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What they're saying
"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." - Max Eberl, Leipzig's former managing director for sport.
"He's a real talent with real potential." - former Lyon head coach Peter Bosz, who handed Lukeba his Ligue 1 debut.
"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." - Lukeba speaks during his unveiling at Leipzig.
"Castello Lukeba - what a player, what a boy! Willi gets injured, he's on the pitch in the first game after that, wobbles once or twice and then rattles off his games against every opponent at the age of 20 at a top level." Leipzig head coach Marco Rose following Leipzig's 0-0 draw with VfL Bochum in October 2023
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