The latest wonderkid off the Brighton production line is 21-year-old Cameroonian midfielder, Carlos Baleba. Brighton’s track record with midfielders has been impeccable in recent years. Moisés Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister have become indispensable to Chelsea and Liverpool. Watch Carlos Baleba on the pitch, and it’s immediately clear he’s next in line for a big-money move. With his impressive performances this season, the rumour mill has been abuzz with speculation about where he could land when the offers inevitably flood in.
Baleba was signed by Lille in 2022 from EF Brasseries, the prestigious Cameroonian academy that produced national team greats like Samuel Eto’o and Vincent Aboubakar. He has talked about growing up “in a hut made of planks”, watching Champions League football and dreaming of rubbing shoulders with the best in the sport.
After just one season in Ligue 1, Baleba caught the eye of Brighton, England’s premier talent spotters, who paid €30 million for his signature—a clear stamp of approval on his raw but undeniable talent. In his first campaign under Roberto De Zerbi, he made 37 appearances, though only 16 were starts.
But this season, Baleba is living up to the hype. Under new coach Fabian Hürzeler, he has been a mainstay in Brighton’s XI, starting 24 of his 26 appearances so far this campaign. Arguably Brighton’s best player, he has anchored their midfield and provided much-needed physicality. It’s no surprise, then, that clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City are circling.
It’s often said a player’s impact is felt most in their absence, and that’s certainly true for Baleba. In his 26 appearances this season, Brighton have lost just four of those games. In the five matches he has missed, the Seagulls have lost three—including a 7-0 thrashing from Nottingham Forest—while also drawing at home to bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
Defensively
Standing at 5’10 with a sturdy frame, Baleba is as physically imposing as they come. Whether gently easing attackers off the ball or crashing in with a bone-crunching tackle, his presence is always felt. And if he gets beaten, he has the speed to recover and the timing to neutralise danger. He ranks fourth amongst PL midfielders for ball recoveries, and also for aerial duels per 90, where he uses his strength and speed to be first to almost every ball. He’s a workhorse too, and his intelligence in sniffing out danger and stifling attacks has made him one of the league’s best interceptors this season, trailing only Ryan Gravenberch in the midfield position.
The Cameroonian’s physical prowess was never more apparent than during Brighton’s win against Manchester City earlier this season. In a game that saw City lose a fourth consecutive match—an unheard-of slump at the time—Baleba highlighted the reigning champions’ recurring issue: a lack of physicality in midfield. Coming on in the 46th minute with Brighton trailing 1-0, he delivered arguably his best performance in a Brighton shirt, dominating City’s ageing midfield and playing a key facilitating role in the dramatic comeback.
With the ball
Baleba’s on-ball game shares similarities with the league’s best No. 6 this season, Ryan Gravenberch. Both are exceptional at breaking lines of pressure with their dribbling, but where Gravenberch glides past defenders with grace and finesse, Baleba leans on his explosiveness and physicality to power through challenges. That said, Baleba is no slouch technically—his agility and close control allow him to navigate tight spaces in the centre of the park.
For a defensive-oriented midfielder, Baleba has shown heaps of promise going forward. He’s not afraid to have a shot on goal, taking 1.8 per 90. His three goals so far this season are a testament to his sense of when to push forward. The pick of the lot was a cracker in Brighton’s cup tie against Wolves earlier this season, an exhibition of everything great about the young midfielder.
One area for improvement is his passing. While Baleba’s 87% pass accuracy is impressive, he too often opts for sideways or backward passes. His progressive passing numbers are bang-average among Premier League midfielders, which could be a minor concern for potential suitors. That said, his long-pass accuracy ranks in the top 25% in his position and he has regularly shown a knack for finding wide runners with sweeping balls over the top.
Verdict
At just 21, Baleba is showing all the signs of becoming a top Premier League midfielder. Many of the big clubs have benefited from Brighton’s recruitment model of recognising the potential in obscure talents and acclimatising them to English football. Baleba is now a vital cog in Brighton’s side, and while the club would be reluctant to let him go this summer—with three years left on his contract—they won’t stand in his way. Any departure would be softened by a substantial fee, given that Moisés Caicedo was sold for £115 million. While he may not be as technically proficient as Caicedo was at the time of his sale, Baleba is more physical and arguably has a higher ceiling, making him an equally enticing prospect for top clubs.
He’s not the finished product, and like Caicedo, he may need time to settle at a new club. But he’s not far off. His passing will improve with maturity and experience, while his physical attributes, dribbling and defensive play are already elite. With reported interest from Liverpool and Manchester City already, it would come as no surprise to see more clubs join the race for what could be the signing of the summer.