Arsenal now want to sign ‘absolutely wonderful’ €120m PL star, Man City attempted Jan deal
Arsenal are one of the teams interested in recruiting the services of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba this summer, according to French outlet L’Equipe.
The Gunners have already added Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to their midfield following the departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho at the end of last season.
However, Arsenal are said to be on the lookout for the ‘absolutely wonderful’ 21-year-old as manager Mikel Arteta looks to further strengthen his team for another Premier League title challenge.
Manchester United and Liverpool also want Baleba, while Manchester City remain in the race after they made inquiries to sign the Cameroon international during the January transfer window.
They were quoted €120 million by the Seagulls, which forced them to postpone their plans until this summer.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola highly values Baleba, but he could now be facing fierce competition from Arsenal and others for his services.
The youngster could be a solid addition in the middle of the park for the North Londoners, but they will not be spending €120m on a midfielder anytime soon as they still want to bolster their attacking and defensive ranks.
The former Lille star has played 77 times for Brighton since joining them in 2023, weighing in with four goals and two assists.
Baleba can also feature at centre-back despite primarily being a defensive midfielder, and winning aerial duels, dribbling and intercepting the ball are some of his major strengths, while he also loves to regularly shoot from a distance.
Arsenal likely see him as a transfer target for the future given the plethora of options currently available to manager Mikel Arteta in the position, but he may be out of reach should he seal a big-money move this summer.
Not many clubs are desperate to part with such a fee for a young player with just two Premier League seasons under his belt, and the Gunners will continue to keep tabs on his situation if he remains at Brighton beyond this window.
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