Brighton star Carlos Baleba responds to Arsenal transfer interest

Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba has responded to rumours linking him with a move to Arsenal.

The 20-year-old made the move to Europe from his homeland of Cameroon in 2022 when he joined French side Lille. A year and a half later, he signed for Premier League side Brighton for £23m, after both Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo moved elsewhere.

Last season, he made 37 appearances across all competitions for the Seagulls. This term, he has featured 10 times and has two goals and two assists to his name.

A report from talkSPORT emerged at the end of last month suggesting the midfielder is attracting interest from a number of rivals. Arsenal were named as one of the clubs with a long-standing interest in the Cameroon international, but Brighton are under no pressure to sell at this stage.

Baleba signed a long-term contract upon his arrival on the south coast last summer, and his current deal expires in 2028 with the option of a further year. With no immediate desire to move elsewhere, he says he is focused on keeping his head down and continuing to develop under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

"I don’t really think like that: playing for two or three years and then leaving. Me? I just work. In my head it’s all about working and helping my club," Baleba told Sky Sports.

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"If I can help a team-mate, I will. If they can help me, I’ll accept that help to push forward and develop. So I just work to help my team and for myself, to progress for the future.

"In return, everyone who helps me wants me to go to the highest level. And 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.

"I don’t know if I’m going to be the star or the next big thing. For me, being the star is quite a lot. Everyone talking about you, singing your name? That just doesn’t do it for me.

"It’s not something that gets me running. I just prefer getting my head down and working on the pitch."