RB Leipzig have reached an agreement with defender Castello Lukeba over a new one-year contract extension.
The 21-year-old centre-back’s existing deal is set to expire in 2028 and the extension will run until 2029.
Lukeba’s extension is expected to be announced this week, and it draws parallels to that of Dani Olmo at Leipzig last season.
The playmaker signed a new contract in the summer of 2023 that ran until 2027, with the understanding he would be allowed to leave if a reasonable offer arrived. Barcelona completed the signing of Olmo in August in a deal worth €60million ($76m; £51.3m).
Sources briefed on the Lukeba deal, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have suggested a similar scenario could unfold for the France international, with the expectation he could depart amicably in the summer of 2025.
Lukeba’s existing deal also contains a substantial release clause.
The Athletic reported this month Lukeba was being tracked by Real Madrid as the European champions look to strengthen their centre-back options, with the Leipzig defender among the options being considered. He has attracted further interest from a number of top European clubs.
Lukeba has made 50 appearances since joining Leipzig from Lyon in the summer of 2023. He has started six of his side’s seven Bundesliga matches this season, including playing the full 90 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen as Leipzig ended Xabi Alonso’s side’s 43-game domestic unbeaten run in August.
Leipzig sit second in the Bundesliga and are unbeaten in the league this season.
Lukeba has been capped once at senior level by France and was part of the squad that won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Additional reporting: Sebastian Stafford-Bloor
(Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images)
