Who is Carlos Baleba? Brighton’s Moises Caicedo replacement ‘set for medical’

Brighton and Hove Albion are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Carlos Baleba from Ligue 1 side Lille.

After selling Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for a British record fee of £115 million, Brighton have been on the hunt to find a replacement for the 21-year-old.

Over the years, the Seagulls have been known for their recruitment as they have discovered gems like Caicedo, Ben White, Kaoru Mitoma, Alexis Mac Allister and Evan Ferguson.

Now, they could potentially have another rough diamond on their hands, in the shape of 19-year-old Baleba.

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Baleba has arrived in England and is set to undergo a medical ahead of a €30 million move from Lille to Brighton.

The 2004-born Cameroon midfielder started his youth career with Futur Soccer FC before moving to EF Brasseries du Cameroun.

In 2022, he was picked up by Lille and after impressing with their B team, Baleba made his first-team debut in August that year.

Baleba’s style of play will look quite similar to Caicedo, known for his energy, dribbling and passing range.

Apart from the holding midfielder position, Baleba is capable of being a modern box-to-box player who can impact the game both defensively and offensively.

It has been reported that his idols growing up were the likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, Thiago Alcantara, Nicolas Pepe and Idrissa Gueye.

Brighton’s start to the 23/24 Premier League season has been a mixed bag so far.

After winning 4-1 against both Luton Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers, they fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against West Ham United on Saturday.

Speaking about the match, manager Roberto De Zerbi said: “I’m disappointed with the result. It wasn’t the best game in my time but I think we didn’t play bad.

“We didn’t play a great, great game but we played a good game - enough to get a point.”

Brighton are back in action on Saturday as they take on Newcastle United at the AMEX Stadium.