Castello Junior Lukeba (Lyon, France, 17 December 2002), also known as Castello Jr, is another example of the great work being done in France to develop top-level defenders.

Lukeba, formed at the Olympique Lyon academy since 2011, signed his first professional contract with the club on 1 July 2021, aged just 18. After his breakthrough in Ligue 1, he joined Bundesliga side R.B. Leipzig last summer, where he has made a total of 41 appearances in all competitions in 23/24 season, becoming one of the team's most important players at his young age.

Born in France, but of Angolan descent, he decided to represent France at international level and received his first call-up to the France Under-21 squad in November 2021. On 17 October 2023, he also made his debut for the senior national team in a friendly against Scotland.

In terms of his football skills, he is a left-footed central defender who stands out for his physical and technical qualities. Physically, he is an agile, fast, strong and powerful player, which makes him a great last defender, with an enormous ability to win duels, both aerial and on the ground, and also to correct actions in open spaces.

Technically, he is a defender with great ball control with his left foot. Good passing range, both short and long, and fairly good vision.

Tactically, however, he has more room for improvement. On the ball, he is a player with a good reading of the game to progress either by passing or by carrying. However, off the ball, he is sometimes too aggressive in anticipation and duels, with a tendency to lose his position when defending forward.

Mentally, finally, Lukeba is a player of great personality, determination and daring. From there, his evolution should focus on improving his attention, concentration, impulsiveness, leadership and error handling in order to become a total player in this aspect.

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