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David Tully Jul 24th 2026
Chelsea are weighing up a move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to reports.
Writing on his Substack, journalist Simon Phillips named the Cameroon international as being among the players on the Blues’ “consideration list”.
Xabi Alonso’s side are keen on reinforcing the middle of the park before the transfer window closes.
They have already had a £64m bid rejected for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has been on the radar for many months, but the potential pursuit of Baleba is a fresh development.
A Premier League rival are keen on the Chelsea target
Baleba was pursued by Manchester United last summer. The Red Devils had seemingly agreed personal terms with the player, but they then baulked at paying Brighton’s asking price, which was reportedly above £100m.
Michael Carrick’s side had subsequently moved on to different targets, with Roma’s Manu Kone, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Fulham’s Sander Berge having been looked at.
However, the Red Devils have reportedly retained an interest in Baleba, which could complicate things for Chelsea if they do decide to make a move for the midfielder over the coming days and weeks.
How much would Baleba cost?
Brighton are notoriously tough negotiators, as the Blues have found out to their cost, but the midfielder had a pretty poor 2025/26 campaign for the Seagulls.
Baleba has publicly admitted that speculation about his future did distract him, and he struggled to replicate the form that had attracted the attention of bigger clubs.
The 22-year-old is not expected to cost close to £100m, but he will still not be available on the cheap, with reports suggesting a figure of £80m or more may be needed to secure his signature.
Considering Scott and Wharton could cost similar figures, much may depend on Alonso and which midfielder would better fit his system and style of play.
David Tully
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.