Chelsea are now believed to be at the front of the queue to sign a Liverpool transfer target in January, and one who Man United have also rated very highly in the past.
Chelsea prepare for Leeds United battle after 1-1 Arsenal draw
Chelsea travel to Elland Road on Wednesday evening seeking to build momentum after their hard-fought 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, where Enzo Maresca’s side demonstrated remarkable resilience despite playing almost an hour with 10 men.
The Blues dominated proceedings during the opening half-hour before Moises Caicedo’s reckless studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino resulted in a straight red card following VAR intervention.
The Ecuadorian midfielder’s dismissal represented Chelsea’s fourth sending-off across just thirteen league fixtures this season – twice as many as any other Premier League side.
Chelsea responded defiantly, though.
Trevoh Chalobah glanced home Reece James’ near-post corner to open the scoring just after halftime, rewarding the hosts’ dogged display, but Arsenal eventually equalised through Merino’s header before the hour mark.
It was a promising display overall from Chelsea, who are still firmly in the title race and must now come away from Yorkshire with all three points to keep pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side.
Daniel Farke’s relegation-threatened side have endured difficult recent form, collecting just three points from their last five league games.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are having to watch their injury situation closely, with Dario Essugo suffering a setback and Maresca carefully easing Cole Palmer back into the team following his return from a groin problem.
Away from the pitch, Chelsea have been tipped to potentially sign a new centre-back in January, and RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba is emerging as a prime contender.
Chelsea favourites to sign Castello Lukeba in January
That is according to CaughtOffside, who report that Chelsea are leading the winter chase to sign him next month, ahead of Liverpool, who are also keen on a move for the Frenchman.
Lukeba, who’s started nearly every game as a mainstay for Leipzig this season, is currently their best-performing player in the Bundesliga behind David Raum, going by average match rating per 90 (WhoScored).
The 22-year-old’s deal includes a release clause which will drop to around £70 million in the summer, but CaughtOffside state that Leipzig could be willing to sell Lukeba to Chelsea for much less at £53 million.
Lukeba, interestingly, was highly recommended to Man United by an unnamed recruitment chief in 2023, according to Football Insider, who told the Red Devils that he’s a ‘generational’ talent.
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill until midway through next year after the Cobham graduate’s ACL injury in pre-season, but Chalobah and Wesley Fofana seriously impressed against Arsenal.
Some believe the pair might be one of England’s best centre-back pairings right now, so the need for another defender is nowhere near as critical as it was back in October.
In any case, Maresca publicly demanded another centre-half in the summer, so it could still be one worth monitoring.
