SUPERSIGNING: Brighton and Hove Albion have reached a €30m agreement with Lille OSC over the signing of super key player

It was reported by L’Équipe last week that Lille were holding out for €30m for the Cameroonian number six, and it now looks like they’ll get just that. According to Foot Mercato, Brighton have reached an agreement with Lille. The Seagulls will pay around €30m, including add-ons. Baleba has been given permission to travel to the UK and will undergo his medical with the Premier League side this week.

It is a considerable fee for a player that has just six Ligue 1 starts to his name. Last season, he was used as a rotation option, but he started the first game of this season in a 1-1 draw against OGC Nice. He lost his place in the starting XI last weekend with Angel Gomes making his return. Baleba now looks set to depart, and at Brighton, he will replace Moises Caicedo, who joined Chelsea for a British record fee

It was expected, and now it appears to be happening, as Brighton & Hove Albion close in on their long-term Moises Caicedo replacement.

That player will be Carlos Baleba, currently at Lille in France, who is now getting closer to a transfer to the Seagulls, according to Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna.

Taking to Twitter, he reveals that Brighton have managed to ‘reach an agreement’ with Lille for the transfer of the 19-year-old, with the Premier League club reportedly paying ‘around €30m’ for him, with bonuses included in that total.

In fact, the player has been ‘given permission’ to travel to the United Kingdom, where he will ‘undergo his medical’ this week ahead of potentially signing his contract with Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

This is a bit of a gamble for Brighton, considering how little professional football Baleba has under his belt, but they also have a great track record when it comes to identifying potential in young players.Will this be another one to pay off? If he gets sold down the line for a similar fee to the one they got for Caicedo, it will certainly have been worth it.