‘Medical booked’ – Newcastle linked midfield ace ‘agrees’ £25m move to Brighton
The Seagulls have now agreed a fee of around £25m – plus £2m in add-ons – with French outfit Lille for the Cameroon midfielder.
Brighton have been tracking the 19-year-old for some time and see him as the ideal replacement for Moises Caicedo, who moved to Chelsea earlier this transfer window for a record fee of £115m.
Baleba was a player very much in demand across Europe with Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa previously linked.
Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano posted: “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.”
It’s a huge boost for Brighton who are rebuilding their midfield after the exit of Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool and Caicedo to Chelsea. The Seagulls have also lost playmaker Julio Enciso for the next four months due to a knee injury.
