Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all showing an interest in talented young Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba ahead of the summer transfer window.
Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Baleba is on the radar of all three of Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd as they search for new midfielders this summer, while Brighton could be ready to listen to offers of around £55million.
Baleba only joined Brighton last year, but in a short space of time the 20-year-old has established himself as an important player for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, showing that he could be the next big sale made by the Seagulls.
We’ve seen the Premier League big six raid Brighton for the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard in recent times, and Baleba looks like he’d be another fine signing for a number of top clubs.
Baleba transfer: Where will the Brighton youngster end up?
We know Arsenal need a midfielder and big names such as Douglas Luiz and Martin Zubimendi are understood to still be on their radar, but could Baleba be a cheap alternative? £55m looks a decent price and could likely be as much as half what Aston Villa would sell Luiz for.
Zubimendi, however, has spoken publicly about being happy at Real Sociedad despite interest from Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be available any time soon.
Baleba could also be a good option for Liverpool, who might do well to revamp their midfield again after a difficult season, even if they did make a lot of changes by bringing in four new players in that position last summer.
United, meanwhile, perhaps need someone like Baleba the most, with the Red Devils carrying a number of ageing and under-performing players in the middle of the park like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, while loan signing Sofyan Amrabat won’t be staying at Old Trafford permanently, returning to parent club Fiorentina at the end of this season.
They are welcome to him – dreadful player
They’re welcome to him – dreadful player