Hurzeler ‘very confident’ Man Utd will fail for Baleba as ‘only change’ Brighton star made revealed
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has revealed he is “very confident” that Carlos Baleba will stay amid interest from Manchester United, as he revealed the “only change” the midfielder has made.
Baleba, 21, has quickly risen to being one of the most important players in the Seagulls’ side. He has been a crucial asset for the past two seasons, and as has happened with other Brighton stars in recent years, he’s being courted by big clubs.
It’s expected that in 2026, he’ll have an array of sides on his tail, but for now, Manchester United are the big club going after him.
Our friends at TEAMtalk have suggested though United know signing Baleba – who’s valued at over £100million – will blow their budget, they are preparing to land him and will deal with the consequences later.
But amid United’s push, Brighton boss Hurzeler is not afraid. He has detailed his confidence that Baleba will stay prior to the start of the Seagulls’ Premier League season on Saturday.
Hurzeler said: “I am very, very confident.”
“I didn’t see any change [from Carlos], he only changed his hair! He is enjoying being a Brighton player. He seems to be in a very good place, enjoying it with his team-mates.
Though Baleba has been suffering with a knee injury, Hurzeler has stated the midfielder is: “is an option to start tomorrow.”
It is not the first time in the last week that the Brighton boss has suggested he does not feel United will succeed with their interest in Baleba.
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When asked earlier in the week if he feared United, he said: “No chance.”
“I don’t feel fear. I’m not afraid of anything because the only thing we can do is be the best version we can be every day, like work as hard as we can.
“All the other things we can’t influence, so we really have to focus on us. For sure, we can’t spend the money like the big teams but one of our biggest values is togetherness. And if you stay together, if we try to push our limits and increase the boundaries, then I’m sure we can compete with the big teams.”
Brighton’s Premier League campaign kicks off on Saturday at 3pm, against Fulham, while United are not in action until 4:30 on Sunday, when they face last season’s second-placed side Arsenal.
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