Carlos Baleba ‘affected’ by Man United speculation as Brighton boss admits ‘it’s not easy’

Fabian Hurzeler has defended Carlos Baleba despite dropping him for Brighton’s trip to Bournemouth.

The Seagulls fell to a 2-1 defeat on the road on Saturday as they returned to action after the international break.

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Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo were on the scoresheet for the home side.

Their strikes were enough to secure all three points despite Kaoru Mitoma’s second half equaliser.

However, Baleba was not involved from the start at the Vitality Stadium as Hurzeler’s team selection caught the eye.

Instead, the Cameroon international was limited to a 24-minute cameo off the bench after replacing James Milner during the second half.

It is the first time he has not started in the Premier League this season.

Baleba was included in the starting line-up for all three of Brighton’s matches in August despite transfer interest from Manchester United.

The Red Devils had enquired about the 21-year-old’s availability before ending their pursuit after accepting he was not for sale this summer.

Hurzeler was asked Baleba’s mindset following the loss to the Cherries, explaining: “I think it’s normal for a young player when the media creates the noise around him.

“It’s not easy for this player to handle it. Therefore we need to give him the time and support so he comes back to his best performance.

“But he’s a young player and I think that’s something we have to accept, that young players don’t always have the face we want to see.

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“It’s our responsibility to help them in the right moments.”

As for whether the speculation surrounding United’s interest has affected him, Hurzeler was understanding of Baleba’s situation.

He added: “I think everyone gets affected, especially when you are that young and you hear these kinds of things, no matter if they are wrong or right. But it’s just noise we don’t need.”

Baleba currently has three years left on his deal at the American Express Community Stadium.

Brighton also have an option to extend his contract by a further 12 months through to the summer of 2029.

However, they could consider cashing in on the midfielder at the end of this season.

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The club are understood to value Baleba at around the same amount as Moises Caicedo when he was sold to Chelsea.

Caicedo completed a £115million move to Stamford Bridge back in 2023.