Nottingham Forest were recently rejected by Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba. The player is a wanted man this summer and now looks set to replace Moises Caicedo at Brighton.
According to Express journalist Charlie Parker-Turner, the Reds were keen to sign the midfielder. Furthermore, the club were willing to accept their approach before the player held reservations.
Now, Baleba is set to sign for Brighton in the coming days. The Seagulls have £115 million to spend after holding out for an astronomical deal for Caicedo from Chelsea.
The 19-year-old has been with Lille since 2022. He signed for the club from Brasseries in Cameroon and he’s made just 22 senior appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit.
Last season, the defensive midfielder made 19 appearances in Ligue 1. He registered two assists and earned some praise from Lille star Remy Cabella who called him ‘incredible’.
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Forest will likely keep their focus on signing PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare this summer. It emerged last night that the player was the subject of another bid from Forest.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Baleba has rejected Forest. The Reds only stayed up by four points last season; whilst Brighton are able to offer him Europa League football during 2023/24.
Forest rejected by Baleba
It’s pretty clear that Forest are looking in the right areas for players. Ultimately, however, they’re being blown out of the water by clubs who have a little bit more to play with.
The Reds do need to get someone signed soon, however. An injury in midfield could leave Forest very light and they’re desperate to sign a defensive enforcer this summer.
Steve Cooper will be very frustrated with how the transfer window has panned out. He’s managed to sign Ola Aina for free, with Anthony Elanga and Matt Turner proving the only other additions.
Baleba would have been a pretty raw option for the Reds to consider. He might need some time to get up to speed in the Premier League and perhaps this isn’t the end of the world.
Only time will tell though. If Baleba goes into Brighton and lights up the Premier League, this will prove another player who will leave Forest fans wondering what might have been.