High-flying Brighton once again has flexed their recruitment muscle as the Seagulls have completed a deal for LOSC Lille starlet midfielder Carlos Baleba.
The 19-year-old Cameroonian youngster had a breakout 2022-23 season in France under manager Paulo Fonseca while making 21 appearances for Les Dogues, propelling himself up the wanted ladder across Europe.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Brighton reached a full agreement with Lille for a €30m all-in package, with details finalized within the last hour after previous reports from some outlets suggested that the Seagulls pulled away from the negotiating table.
Carlos Baleba to Brighton, here we go! Verbal agreement reached with Lille on €27m fixed fee plus €3m add-ons and sell-on clause included 🚨🔵 #BHAFC
Personal terms agreed, medical booked.
2004 born midfielder will replace Caicedo.
Exclusive from 2 weeks ago, confirmed. pic.twitter.com/njZCjbzzWp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2023
There have been comparisons to both Moisés Caicedo and Yves Bissouma when it comes to Baleba’s overall profile on the pitch, and despite the summer acquisitions of Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner, Roberto De Zerbi was yet to receive a proper replacement for Caicedo after he recently completed his move to Chelsea.
This signals yet another move by the club that continues to target young(er) talent across multiple continents, which has proven so vital to their development on and off the pitch, as well as defining their recruitment policy and talent ID as one of the best in England in recent seasons.
With the move for Baleba now complete, he constitutes the seventh deal of the summer for Brighton, who have gotten off to a strong start in the league with two wins from two, while looking up to the task of tackling European football for the first time in their history.
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