Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba from Lille.
The 19-year-old has agreed a five-year deal with Brighton and becomes the Seagulls' sixth senior summer acquisition.
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“Carlos is a very good player. He’s very young but a specific player for our style. He will be the future of the club,” head coach Roberto De Zerbi told the club's official website.
Born in Douala, Cameroon, Baleba joined Lille in January 2022. He started out in the reserves but broke into the first team after impressing coach Paulo Fonseca in pre-season training, playing 21 league matches.
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Baleba has operated in the defensive midfield role for Lille but has shown his ability to drive with the ball at his feet and pick out a forward pass.
Last week, De Zerbi expressed his desire to recruit another midfielder after the departures of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively. Brighton brought in Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner to bolster their midfield earlier this summer.
Brighton fans could see their new midfielder in action on Saturday 2 September when they host Newcastle United.