Brighton is on the verge of securing the services of Carlos Baleba from Lille, a move intended to fill the void left by Moises Caicedo’s departure to Chelsea. In the unfolding situation, reliable source Fabrizio Romano reports that Brighton is nearing the completion of a deal with Lille for the acquisition of Baleba. The agreed fee stands at €27 million (£23 million/$29 million), with an additional €3 million (£2.5 million/$3 million) allocated for potential add-ons. Despite being only 19 years old and having amassed just 23 senior appearances for his current club, Baleba is poised to undertake the significant responsibility of stepping into Caicedo’s role.
Zooming out to consider the broader context, the high-profile transfer of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea, with a club-record fee of £115 million ($146 million), necessitated Brighton’s search for a replacement in the midfield. With Baleba’s impending move, set to be finalized before the transfer deadline, Brighton holds the anticipation that he can make a comparable impact as the emerging star now associated with Chelsea.