Brighton boss reveals how Carlos Baleba has been 'affected' by Man Utd transfer talk

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has admitted midfielder Carlos Baleba has been "affected by the noise" around his failed move to Manchester United.

Baleba was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window and became one of United's top targets as Ruben Amorim sought a new No 6 to play alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield.

But United were put off by Brighton's reported valuation of £115million and moved onto other targets - though they were ultimately unable to bring in the defensive midfield player they wanted.

Hurzeler insisted he was confident Baleba would not be sold and his prediction came true, but not without consequences. The 21-year-old was benched for his side's 2-1 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday and instead came off the bench.

The German coach said Baleba had been affected mentally by the speculation surrounding a move to United, saying "sometimes young players don't have the face we want to see".

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"I think it’s normal for a young player when the media creates the noise around him," the Brighton boss said.

"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. ‘It’s our responsibility to help them in the right moments.

"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."

Hurzeler was speaking after his Brighton side's defeat to the Cherries, in which Baleba played the final 24 minutes.

It was the first time Baleba has not started a game in the Premier League this season. He's played a total of 200 minutes in the top flight in 2025-26 so far and has been a key player for the Seagulls since his arrival in 2023.

He's played 82 times for the club, scoring four goals, becoming the latest successful midfield signing to star for Brighton after Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.

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