Manchester City have taken an interest in Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to TBRFootball.
The website claims that Pep Guardiola’s team have “watched” the 20-year-old in “recent weeks” after he made a very impressive start to the season with the Seagulls.
Baleba moved to the South Coast from Lille for £23m in August last year, with many tipping him as the successor to Moises Caicedo.
However, it has taken the Cameroon international a while to settle into English football, with his best performances having come since the appointment of Fabian Hurzeler as head coach.
City will have competition if they do decide to pursue the player
It was reported at the end of October that Premier League rivals Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool have also been keeping close tabs on Baleba. When asked about the rumours earlier this month, the midfielder said:
“If there are big clubs who want me, it’s not something that worries me or gets me excited. I just need to work hard and keep a cool head.”
Baleba is not the only midfielder being scouted
In addition to the Brighton youngster, the Cityzens are also believed to be monitoring Sporting Lisbon’s Morten Hjulmand and Stuttgart’s Angelo Steller ahead of the January transfer window.
Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes remains on the club’s radar too but there is an acceptance that a bid before the end of the season is unrealistic.
If City do try to sign a replacement for Rodri in the middle of the campaign, the club will pursue alternatives. In addition to the likes of Baleba, Hjulmand and Steller, the club have been heavily linked with the likes of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Atalanta’s Ederson. Both players have price tags in the region of €60m (£50m).
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
