Chelsea forced to pay €120m for Premier League superstar

Cameron Smith

1 Apr 2025 12:30 CDT
3 min read

Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly placed a €120 million (£100m) price tag on Carlos Baleba amid significant interest from Chelsea.

The Cameroon international has developed into one of the Premier League’s best central midfielders under Fabian Hurzeler and he is being scouted by a number of top European clubs, including Chelsea, following his impressive form so far this season.

Article continues under the video

Current ETV

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

ETV Range

€45.3M - €55.4M

That is according to talkSPORT, who state that Brighton value Baleba and Liverpool target Joao Pedro in the same financial bracket as Moises Caicedo - who joined Chelsea in 2023 for a transfer fee that could reach €134m if add-on clauses are met.

The Blues are among the teams interested in signing Baleba this summer, despite the plethora of midfield options already at the club, but Brighton owner Tony Bloom is under no pressure to sell due to the Seagulls’ immense transfer dealings over the past few years.

Baleba’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at a career high of €50.4m - following a rapid rise over the past few months - and his existing deal at the AMEX Stadium isn’t due to expire until 2028, while Brighton have the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months.

READ MORE: Chelsea top scorers 2024/25

Chelsea to miss out on Carlos Baleba

Although Baleba has performed to an incredibly high level so far this campaign, Chelsea’s pursuit of his signature is slightly surprising given the number of midfielders already owned by the Blues.

Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Mathis Amougou and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall form the spine of Chelsea’s current options, while Reece James is also viewed as a midfielder by Enzo Maresca, and Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka are all currently out on loan.

However, Chelsea’s push to sign Baleba is set to end in disappointment, with Brighton highly unlikely to sanction a sale unless the west London giants agree to pay a British transfer record fee.