Brighton & Hove Albion appear to be close to finding a successor for Moises Caicedo, who they sold for a British transfer record fee to Chelsea earlier this month, as Fabrizio Romano has reported the club have agreed a deal to sign Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba. The teenager will undergo a medical shortly.
Carlos Baleba Moves Closer to Brighton Move
Medical Booked for £25 Million-Rated Teenager
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Baleba has landed in England and that a medical has been booked by the club. The 19-year-old midfielder will cost the Seagulls around £25.7 million, which is less than a quarter of the fee that they received from Caicedo’s sale to Chelsea.
The young prospect will be their third midfield signing of the summer after Brighton also acquired experienced midfielder James Milner, as well as German midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, who were both free agents.
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What Are Brighton Getting in Baleba?
The Cameroonian midfielder had a breakthrough at Lille last season, making 19 appearances in Ligue 1 and impressing scouts. The teenager has been used as a defensive midfielder but has displayed the positional versatility to play further up the pitch, with strong passing and ball-carrying abilities.
Baleba will face competition in the starting eleven under Roberto De Zerbi, however, it is likely that he will take Caicedo’s role in the deeper midfield position. To replace the former Brghton star, he will need to demonstrate an ability to shield the defence and press effectively, but also to progress the ball without losing possession.
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The midfielder may be used as a rotation piece to start but he will be expected to push Billy Gilmour out of the side once he has adapted to the style of play at the Amex stadium. Brighton will hope to be able to register the player before their home game against Newcastle on Saturday, which looks set to be a blockbuster event.
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Photo Credit: JJ Hall on Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
