Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly keen on signing 19-year-old Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba.
A report from Daily Mail claims that Brighton & Hove Albion have entered the race to sign Carlos Baleba. The 19-year-old Cameroonian midfielder is also a target for Liverpool and Newcastle United, among others.
Apparently, the Seagulls have already offered £15 million to Ligue 1 club Lille in order to sign the teenage prodigy. They are hoping to bring him in as a replacement for Moises Caicedo, who has completed a British transfer record move to Chelsea earlier this week.
Baleba is highly rated in Ligue 1, and he could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition for all three Premier League clubs. Brighton have sanctioned the departures of Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister this summer. They will need to bring in quality reinforcements, and the 19-year-old would be a solid long-term investment.
The Cameroonian midfielder is blessed with impressive passing ability, dribbling skills and work rate. He has all the tools to develop into a complete box-to-box midfielder in the coming seasons. Meanwhile, Liverpool could use someone like him as well after failing in their pursuit of Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Working under a manager like Jurgen Klopp could help the talented youngster improve further and develop into a top-class player. As for Newcastle United, the Magpies could use some depth in the midfield department as well. They have already signed Sandro Tonali in a big-money deal earlier this summer, and they could use some tenacity, craft and drive in the side as well.
Baleba would be a quality acquisition for all three clubs, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. If Lille are prepared to sell him for a reasonable price this summer, all three clubs should be able to afford him. The 19-year-old will be tempted to move to the Premier League if there is a concrete proposal on the table.
Clubs like Liverpool could provide him with the platform to showcase his ability at a high level. Regular football in the Premier League could accelerate his development, and the midfielder could seek game-time assurances before making the move.
It remains to be seen whether Brighton can agree on a fee with Lille over the next few days and fend off the competition from the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle as well. Both Liverpool and Newcastle are bigger clubs with more resources, and they will fancy their chances of beating Brighton to his signature.
