Manchester United are leading the race for RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, according to a report from Germany.

The Red Devils are poised for a busy summer as they look to strengthen their ranks after securing a return to the Champions League.

Last summer, the Old Trafford outfit spent around £200million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko. The quartet have all proved sound investments and the Red Devils will be keen to get it right in the transfer market again as they face a busier schedule next campaign.

Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho – who spent last season on loan at Aston Villa – have all been released as Michael Carrick eyes new recruits.

Man Utd leading chase for Castello Lukeba

One player of interest to United is Lukeba from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

According to Fussball Daten in Germany, the Red Devils are the ‘leading suitors’ to sign the highly-rated centre-back. He has a reported release clause in his contract of around £77million.

His deal with Leipzig runs until 2029 but the report claims he is ‘ready for a new challenge’ after three years at the club.

The United hierarchy have already opened ‘concrete talks’ with the player’s agent as they look to win the race for the 23-year-old, who has been described as ‘one of the best young centre-backs in Europe’. The Red Devils already have several options in central defence.

Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are the current players at Carrick’s disposal and it is unclear what Lukeba’s potential arrival would mean for the current crop of centre-backs.

Man Utd face competition for Castello Lukeba

United face a battle to sign Lukeba, however.

Spanish giants Barcelona – fresh off winning a second-straight La Liga title – want to bring the player to the Camp Nou.

They have reached out to the player’s agent to see how a deal could be structured as they are unlikely to pay his £77million release clause.

There is Premier League competition for the defender too.

Chelsea have been long-term admirers, along with Manchester City. Tottenham Hotspur also like the player but are only likely to attempt a move if Micky van de Ven departs the North London club this window.

United and City can offer the player Champions League football while Chelsea and Spurs are not in any European competitions next campaign.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also credited with an interest. It is claimed Leipzig could accept an offer below £77million but would still want at least £50million to part ways with Lukeba.

Putting the question of how well England can do at the next World Cup to a predominantly British audience always produces interesting answers. For whatever reason, Three Lions supporters tend to be either wildly optimistic or convinced their team will crash out – there is rarely any middle ground. That divide has been evident once again after 10 pundits from across British broadcasters were asked to predict this summer’s tournament.

Under Thomas Tuchel, England’s first non-English manager since Fabio Capello in 2012, the Three Lions will be hoping to finally end a 60-year trophy drought on the other side of the Atlantic in the USA, Canada and Mexico. After becoming the first European nation to come through a full eight-match qualifying campaign with a perfect record and without conceding a goal, optimism was at a level rarely seen in recent years.

However, there are reasons to temper expectations. Key omissions, including Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Harry Maguire, have raised eyebrows, while a damp squib of a pre-tournament friendly against New Zealand – the tournament’s lowest-ranked side – suggested the players are still struggling to cope with the heat.

That result has brought many observers back down to earth ahead of England’s opening match against Croatia on June 17, serving as a reminder that there may still be a few bumps in the road to come. One Football has put in the hard yards to reveal how 10 renowned journalists view England’s chances of bringing football home.

10 Renowned Pundits Have Predicted England’s 2026 World Cup

Gary Neville

What he said: “I’m never arrogant enough not to think quarterfinals is par for England. When you think about Italy aren’t even here. Quarter-final can be par if you lose against a great team, or some form of freak… To use the golf analogy: Par is quarters, I think for England, gotta be par, Birdie is semi-finals, Eagle is final, Albatross is winning it. I’m telling you, you’re talking about a hole-in-one on a par four. Or a two on a par five.

“If England win it, honestly, it’s a freak. Honestly, you’re talking about something that happens like once in a blue moon. In 10 days time, we’ll be England fans, and we’ll be saying ‘absolutely we can win it, no problem’, but do you honestly believe sitting here now that ‘we are going to win this tournament?”

Jamie Carragher

What he said: “I don’t think we’ll get there. I think if England got to the semi-final, I think they’ve done brilliant. In terms of individually, the centre-backs… That’s where I go back to what a lot of the squad is. What you’d call really good Premier League players. You go back to when you had Rio and John Terry. It’s not just that they were great players. They’re playing in the Champions League every week, every season.

“Talking about Marc Guehi, who went to Man City in January, so the majority of his career at a good level – Crystal Palace, really good, did well at City – and Ezri Konsa – won the Europa League – but it’s not coming up against that level of player, week after week, season after season. And it’s just that’s what we’ve got, that’s the best of what we’ve got, it doesn’t mean they’re bad players.”

Ian Wright

What he said: “I think we’ve got a good chance, especially with Harry Kane up front. That’s what I believe.”

Ian Wright, known as the loving uncle of English football, is ever the optimist in any studio he’s a part of. It’s hardly a surprise to learn that he’s excited by the Three Lions’ chances, resting his hopes on the goalscoring prowess of Harry Kane, who has scored 67 goals since the start of last season, and is among the frontrunners for the 2026 Ballon d’Or as a result.

Roy Keane

What he said: “Do I see England winning the World Cup? Absolutely not. Do you know what? When I looked at the squad and particularly defensively, I’m not convinced. And I don’t want to see any stats from anybody say, ‘Oh, they’ve done this in the last two years’ or whatever.

“Some of these games in the qualifying campaigns have been quite easy, but I just don’t see it come a crunch game in the quarter to the semi-finals, whether they’re chasing the game or defending it. The defenders… I’m just not convinced. It’s the centre-halves that would be worrying me. Imagine playing France and the game’s getting stretched… I don’t know.”

Roy Keane couldn’t be less like the aforementioned Wrighty, and the ridiculously high standards he set himself and his teammates during his own playing career has filtered into his punditry work. Angered by everything, never impressed by anything – the Irishman was never going to predict England would see gold.

Gary Lineker

What he said: “I quite like the way Saka has returned to form at the end of the season. Saka’s had his injuries, but I also look at some of our players and I think, especially the ones with spells out, normally you look at our players – particularly from the Premier League – and they look a little bit knackered.

“But a lot of our star players have had spells out whether it is Saka, Harry Kane has been rested quite a lot, the players playing abroad like Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford are looking fit and really strong. That could help us. It would be glorious [to win it], I think. I was five when we won it and have zero memory, so I would love it to happen in my lifetime. I think it will be tough this one, for lots of reasons, but I don’t think it is impossible. I think we’re with an outside shot.”

Alan Shearer

What he said: “I think with the talent that we have… success, I guess, is winning. But when you think about who you’re going up against, Spain or France or Brazil or Argentina, maybe Portugal, I just think as you go deep into the tournament, (there will be) squads better than England. If we defend really well and Harry can do what he’s done, then we have got a live chance of winning it. If we’re going to go deep, then Harry has to fly.”

Lineker’s right-hand man, Alan Shearer has also rested his expectations on the shoulders of Kane. Interestingly, though, he made no mention of the defensive struggles England might encounter like many of fellow pundits have – instead, he gave a positive outlook on that front.

Micah Richards

What he said: “When you look at our starting lineup, I think we have a really good chance. But I feel everyone has to play to the best of their capabilities. In some other teams, you might be able to carry someone. Kylian Mbappe might not do the work off the ball but on the ball you know he will come up with that moment of magic.

“With England at times, too many players have been playing in their shell. Jude Bellingham has had those big moments, but who else? We need more players like that with personality to say ‘this is our time’. I’ll always be confident of England getting to the semi-finals, but they all need to be at their best – if one of them is off, no, I don’t think it comes home.”

Wayne Rooney

What he said: “England and Spain will make the final, and hopefully England will win it. I’m going with Kane to get the Golden Boot.”

Ai believes one other player will pip Kane to the World Cup Golden Boot award, but you can’t knock Rooney’s confidence in believing the Three Lions will go all the way. A part of the 2007 Golden Generation team, the retired Manchester United legend never got that close during his international career, but the times-are-a-changing.

Joe Hart

What he said: “England [will lift the trophy]. But I am not actually that bothered whether I am right or wrong. I just like to back my people and I want England to do it.”

It would seem Joe Hart, England’s former number one, always backs his country to win. But he immediately second-guessed himself by then suggesting he doesn’t care if he’s right or wrong…

Thomas Frank

What he said: “To win the World Cup you need individual quality, and England have definitely got that. Their midfield is very strong and if they can put the right defence together, it is strong enough. They have a real chance. The team will be well-structured because Thomas Tuchel is a top coach, plus they have experience in these tournaments, and I am sure they will get their togetherness right because they seem to have some fantastic characters and leaders in the group.”

It isn’t very often that England are taken seriously by neutral observers, as proven by Keane’s brutal verdict. But as the one on this list with arguably the best contemporary football knowledge (given that he was still a working Premier League manager earlier this year), then Thomas Frank’s verdict is particularly interesting.

Gary Neville and Roy Keane have joined fellow ITV pundit Ian Wright in condemning the decision not to allow referee Omar Artan into the USA for the 2026 World Cup.

Artan, known as the ‘best referee in Africa’, was interrogated upon his arrival in the States before being turned away. The White House claimed they believed the official had ties to a terrorist group, which is why they didn’t allow him to enter the country.

However, the US and FIFA have received strong backlash for the decision, including from Wright on social media. Football’s governing body released a statement, confirming they would not get involved with the issue, and Artan would indeed be absent from the competition.

Gary Neville Slams ‘Ridiculous’ Visa Debacle

Speaking on ITV’s coverage of the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, Neville was asked about the ongoing controversy that had preceded the tournament’s kick-off. Not only with Artan, but also the situation involving Iran.

“We have seen it in Russia, we have seen it in Qatar and now we are seeing it in America, which has got the visa issues, obviously, for the referee,” the retired England footballer said.

Neville then continued, saying that ‘common sense has prevailed’ regarding Iran being allowed to play their matches in the US, even if they must train in Mexico, but was baffled FIFA didn’t insist on their referees all being allowed in the country. He ranted:

“To me it is ridiculous the fact the referee is not able to come into this country. He is a FIFA referee, he is basically someone who has been lauded as being one of the very best.”

The ex-Manchester United defender believes the host nations should allow their countries to be ‘given over’ to visitors for the World Cup. He added:

“You have got that statue over your shoulder, the Statue of Liberty. I don’t think he’ll be feeling that right now. He is being celebrated like a hero in his own country and rightly so.

“When you host a World Cup, you are effectively giving over your land to the world of football for four to five to six weeks. We need tolerance and people who can accept that everybody comes from a different part of the world and that’s not happened here.”

Roy Keane Agrees With Colleagues on World Cup Issues

Following Neville’s full comments on the issue, Wright once again reiterated that he’s firmly against what has been happening off the pitch. Keane was the last one to give his view, but he agreed with his colleagues.

The Irishman said: “We shouldn’t shy away from the problems that are facing officials, supporters and teams. Once the game gets underway today and the ceremony starts, hopefully it will all be positive from there onwards.”

Keane is hoping for attention to now turn to matters on the pitch, just as many watching from home or the stands will be too.