Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler says he is “very, very confident” Carlos Baleba will remain at the club this summer despite interest from Manchester United.
United boss Ruben Amorim is reportedly eager to bring in the 21-year-old midfielder as part of his squad overhaul, following significant investment in attacking options earlier in the window.
Baleba has impressed since joining the Premier League from Lille, developing into another standout example of Brighton’s ability to nurture young talent.
However, the Seagulls are understood to be demanding more than £100m for the Cameroon international, a price that reflects his importance to Hurzeler’s plans going into his second season in charge.
The midfielder missed the final part of Brighton’s pre-season with a knee injury but is now fit and could feature in their Premier League opener against Fulham at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
“He is an option to start tomorrow,” Hurzeler confirmed, adding that he has seen “no change” in Baleba’s attitude and that the player appears to be in “a very good place” with his team-mates.
Brighton have already parted ways with Joao Pedro, who joined Chelsea for a substantial fee, while Pervis Estupinan and Simon Adingra have also departed.
Evan Ferguson has moved to Roma on loan. New signings Charalampos Kostoulas and Maxim De Cuyper are both in line to make their competitive debuts this weekend.
