Baleba’s Recent Performance at Brighton Tied to Manchester United Interest

Carlos Baleba’s recent struggles at Brighton have been associated with the transfer speculation linking him to Manchester United. Manager Fabian Hurzeler has advised the young midfielder to maintain a humble mindset.

Transfer Speculation

The 21-year-old midfielder was prominently rumored to join Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, but Manchester United ultimately decided against pursuing him due to Brighton’s steep asking price exceeding £100 million.

Recent Performance

Since the transfer talks, Baleba has found it difficult to regain the level of performance that justified such a valuation. In Brighton’s recent 2-2 encounter against Tottenham, he was substituted at halftime.

Manager’s Comments

After the match, Hurzeler acknowledged that the potential transfer to Manchester United may have had an impact on Baleba’s play. He stated to the media:

“Certainly, when a young player sees there’s interest from a major club like Manchester United, it might weigh on him emotionally. This is part of his growth as he learns that strong performances can attract significant offers.”

“It’s important for him to stay grounded, remain with Brighton, and continue progressing with the team. We have to work diligently with him to navigate these challenges, so while I can’t definitively say whether it’s affected him, there’s definitely a lot at play.”

“He’s still very young, and we need to recognize that he’s not an automaton who performs perfectly all the time. We must be aware of his feelings and where he’s coming from, which is part of our duty to support him.”