It is understood that Tottenham are considering a possible chance to compete with Manchester United for the transfer of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.
The talented young Cameroonian is going through a slight dip in form after Manchester United tried to sign him in the summer, and this has led to Tottenham joining the fray, as first reported in the Daily Briefing.
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Brighton still insist on their assessment of Baleba at €100 million, which could complicate matters for Tottenham, but there should be a little more room for negotiation now than in the summer when the bosses at Old Trafford were on the ball.
It is also not ruled out that United could prioritise Baleba, although other big names such as Elliot Anderson and Joao Gomes are now also heavily considered.
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Manchester United and Tottenham appear to be the two main teams to watch in the race for Baleba, with sources describing the 21-year-old as someone who is still highly valued in football.
There is no doubt that this season so far has been a little more difficult for Baleba, but it could only be a temporary decline for the young player.
“Brighton don’t see Baleba’s recent performances as a major concern, they feel they still have an asset worth €100 million there, so any club thinking about a deal at a reduced price can forget about it,” said a source.
“Tottenham are monitoring Baleba’s situation,” another source explained. “They feel there could be an opportunity there if United decide to focus on other goals.”
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Baleba is someone we hear a lot about at the moment, as are other names like Anderson, Gomes and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
If he returns to his best form, however, there is good reason to say that Baleba is the best of the group, so he could still prove to be well worth the €100 million investment.
Brighton can make it difficult as they don’t want to sell in January, but in the past they have tended to sell stars like Moises Caicedo if the money and timing are right for them.
