Inside the incredible rise of Carlos Baleba from growing up in a hut to becoming Brighton’s latest superstar

THREE-YEARS-AGO Carlos Baleba was grinding for a nonrecreational declaration astatine a shot schoolhouse successful Cameroon - present he’s looking similar Brighton’s caller £150million man. 

The Cameroonian 20-year-old is the next hidden gem to beryllium unearthed astatine the Amex arsenic helium follows successful the footsteps of Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Alexis Mac Allister.

Baleba announced himself to the satellite erstwhile helium came connected astatine half-time successful the 2-1 triumph implicit Manchester City past clip out.

He flipped the crippled connected its head, adding oomph and creativity astatine the basal of Brighton's midfield to stun the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.

Baleba conjured up the winning extremity with an exceptional determination to Joao Pedro earlier Matt O'Riley fired home.

His 45-minutes wide against Man City was a cleanable summary of the all-round large midfielder Baleba is to person successful a team. 

He has shown helium is simply a subordinate afloat of thrust and dynamism, carnal prowess and method skill.

Why helium could beryllium worthy £150m

Baleba has established himself arsenic a cardinal cog successful Fabian Hurzeler's team, starting 8 of the archetypal 11 Premier League games nether the German brag this season.

It would person been 9 starts, but a genu wounded kept him connected the seat during the 2-1 decision astatine Liverpool. 

Baleba joined Brighton for £26m successful the summer of 2023 astatine property 19, a fortnight aft Caicedo’s British grounds £115m Chelsea transfer, having played conscionable 21 times successful Ligue 1 for Lille.

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Caicedo was besides 19 erstwhile Brighton signed him for £4m from Independiente del Valle successful his homeland. 

Baleba made 13 appearances for Lille's B team, earlier making his first-team debut past September arsenic a substitute successful a 1-0 triumph against Lens.

His archetypal Ligue 1 commencement came successful January successful a goalless gully with Stade Brestois.

Paulo Fonseca, current AC Milan coach, and Baleba’s manager astatine Lille, said astatine the time: “I deliberation that contiguous Baleba is simply a subordinate who tin beryllium a starter. He represents the future of Lille.” 

It has taken little clip for Baleba to marque his people astatine the Amex, with him present boasting the third-most combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes successful the top-flight this season.

His per-90 fig for tackles positive interceptions of 5.36 is bettered by lone 2 players with implicit 400 minutes, Mario Lemina of Wolves and Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United.

Another precocious fig which besides stands retired is his carrying into the last third.

This season, he’s doing that 1.88 times per 90 minutes, the aforesaid arsenic Declan Rice and somewhat much than Dominik Szoboszlai.

Baleba made 19 passes erstwhile helium came connected against Pep Guardiola's side, failing to implicit lone one.

One of his 18 completions, a walk to Pedro, led to O'Riley's winner.

Of the 98 midfielders to marque 5 oregon much Prem starts this season, lone Rodrigo Bentancur is averaging much interceptions per 90 than Baleba.

He besides ranks 5th successful the league for times winning backmost possession per 90 minutes.

Humble beginnings

Baleba was calved successful Douala, the largest metropolis successful Cameroon and wherever the legendary Samuel Eto’o was born. 

Growing up wasn't casual for the Brighton midfielder who often wore football boots that were old, breached oregon excessively big.

He said: "I lived successful a hut made of planks. In beforehand of my door, determination were motortruck tires." 

He added: "Everything I was given, I enactment it on. I didn't complain." 

It's nary astonishment that Baleba was nicknamed Diego Maradona during his younker days, owed to his method level and quality to people goals connected his own.  

He said: "They utilized to telephone maine Maradona erstwhile I was a winger. I utilized to people a batch of goals from there.

“My speciality, my champion determination was the ‘virgule’ [rolling shot circular successful a semi-circle].

"I copied it disconnected Ronaldinho. I mastered the method erstwhile I was facing the goal, oregon by the country flag.

“I did immoderate harm with it. I don’t truly bash it immoderate more, but I person not forgotten how. And I could inactive bash one, truthful ticker out.

“One lucifer arsenic a kid I was moving towards extremity and the goalkeeper rushed retired and crashed into me.

“I was wounded and fell, my thigh wounded truly bad. I couldn’t tally oregon adjacent locomotion that good – truthful they moved maine into midfield from the wing.

“I felt comfy there, and had freedom. I could flooded opponents with my method ability. And erstwhile there, I stayed determination and ne'er moved away."

Brighton person seen galore talented midfielders travel done successful the past fewer years - Caicedo, Mac Allister and Yves Bissouma to sanction a few.

Baleba could go the champion of the batch and that whitethorn mean that helium is next successful enactment successful the Brighton departure lounge queue.