Aston Villa impressed by £23m midfielder who must not 'stagnate'

Aston Villa have been impressed by the the performances of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. That’s according to TBF Football, who say the Claret & Blues are admirers of the midfielder who is thriving under new Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler.

The Cameroon international joined Brighton from Lille in 2023. After manging only 15 Premier League starts in his first season, he has already put in six in eight games and turned in some commanding performances.

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TBR Football say that before joining Brighton, the 20-year-old was of interest to the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – and claim the Gunners and Reds have ‘maintained a watching brief’. They are not alone, though, and the article suggests he has also caught the eye of Manchester City, Villa and Tottenham.

Villa are currently prospering with Amadou Onana as a successful summer signing – and they will soon be buoyed by the return of Boubacar Kamara from long-term injury. Youri Tielemans and Ross Barkley are also contenders in the middle of the park, to say nothing of John McGinn.

Having joined Brighton for £23m last summer, it is expected Baleba’s asking price will only have gone up, if indeed the Amex outfit are even willing to countenance a transfer.

Hurzeler is refusing to crown him the second coming just yet, saying earlier this month: “I have great staff who help him every day - my assistant coaches and my analysts work with him and talk to him. It’s very important for young players that they always get fast feedback after their performance.

“It's very important to find a balance when giving a player positive feedback, because also you have to say to him 'you have to improve this and that'. I think that's very important so as not to stagnate in your development. You have to always try to improve.”

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