THREE YEARS AGO Carlos Baleba was pining for a professional contract at a football academy in Cameroon – now he looks like Brighton's new £150million man.
The 20-year-old Cameroonian is the next hidden gem to be unearthed at the Amex as he follows in the footsteps of Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Alexis Mac Allister.
Baleba announced himself to the world when he came on at half-time in the 2-1 win over Manchester City last time out.
He turned the game on its head, adding strength and creativity to the base of Brighton's midfield to amaze the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
Baleba conjured up the winning goal with an exceptional move to Joao Pedro before Matt O'Riley fired home.
His 45-minute total against Man City was a perfect summary of the all-round great midfielder Baleba needs in a team.
He has shown that he is a player full of drive and dynamism, physical prowess and technical skill.
Why he could be worth £150 million
Baleba has developed into a key figure in Fabian Hurzeler's team, starting eight of the first 11 Premier League games under the German boss this season.
It would have been nine starts, but a knee injury kept him on the bench during the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.
Baleba joined Brighton in the summer of 2023 at the age of 19 for £26m, a fortnight after Caicedo's British record £115m move to Chelsea, having made just 21 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille.
Caicedo was also 19 when Brighton signed him for £4 million from Independiente del Valle in his homeland.
Baleba made 13 appearances for Lille's B team before making his first-team debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Lens last September.
His first start in Ligue 1 came in January after a goalless draw against Stade Brestois.
Paulo Fonseca, the current coach of AC Milan, and Baleba's manager at Lille, said at the time: “I think Baleba is a player today who can be a starter. He represents the future of Lille.”
It has taken Baleba less time to make his mark at the Amex, with him now boasting the third most combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes in the top flight this season.
His per-90 figure for tackles plus interceptions of 5.36 is bettered by only two players with more than 400 minutes, Wolves' Mario Lemina and Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui.
Another high figure that also stands out is his progression into the final third.
This season he does that 1.88 times per 90 minutes, the same as Declan Rice and slightly more than Dominik Szoboszlai.
Baleba made 19 passes when he came on against Pep Guardiola's side, only one of which he failed to complete.
One of his 18 completions, a pass to Pedro, led to O'Riley's winner.
Of the 98 midfielders to make five or more Prem starts this season, only Rodrigo Bentancur averages more interceptions per 90 than Baleba.
He also ranks fifth in the league for the number of times he wins back possession per 90 minutes.
Humble beginnings
Baleba was born in Douala, Cameroon's largest city and where the legendary Samuel Eto'o was born.
Growing up wasn't easy for the Brighton midfielder, who often wore football boots that were old, broken or too big.
He said: “I lived in a hut made of planks. There were truck tires outside my door.”
He added: “Everything that was given to me, I took it. I didn't complain.”
It is no surprise that Baleba was nicknamed Diego Maradona during his youth, due to his technical level and ability to score goals himself.
He said: “They called me Maradona when I was a winger. From there I scored a lot of goals.”
“My specialty, my best move was the 'virgule' [rolling ball round in a semi-circle].
“I copied it from Ronaldinho. I mastered the technique when I was facing the goal or at the corner flag.
“I did some damage with it. I don't actually do it anymore, but I haven't forgotten how. And I might still do one, so watch out.
“In one match as a kid I was running towards the goal and the goalkeeper ran out and bumped into me.
“I got hurt and fell, my thigh hurt really bad. I couldn't run or even walk very well, so they moved me from the wing to midfield.
“I felt comfortable there and had freedom. My technical skills allowed me to defeat opponents. And once I got there, I stayed there and never left.”
Brighton have seen many talented midfielders come through in recent years – Caicedo, Mac Allister and Yves Bissouma to name a few.
Baleba could end up being the best of the bunch and that could mean he is next in line in the Brighton departure lounge.
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