Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to the Daily Mail.

Newcastle, AC Milan, Juventus and Monaco are also said to be pursuing the 19-year-old but it is believed that Brighton are the team who have made a formal approach for the player.

The Seagulls see Baleba as a possible “replacement” for Moises Caicedo, who snubbed a move to Liverpool in order to seal a British record transfer to Chelsea earlier this week.

The Mail claim a £15m plus add-ons bid has been lodged for Baleba, although the offer is unlikely to be accepted, with Lille reportedly holding out for as much as €30m (£26m).

What do Liverpool fans need to know about Baleba?

The teenager was born in Cameroon and only made the move to France from his native country in January last year. By April 2022, he had already been named on the substitutes’ bench for a first-team game and he then made his senior debut against Auxerre at the start of last season.

Baleba was not a regular starter during his first full campaign at Lille, making only seven starts in all competitions, as well as 21 appearances in total. Still, scouts have been very impressed by what they have seen from the midfielder.

Are the Reds considering other midfield targets?

With Baleba very much being a player for the future, the Merseyside club are also looking at more experienced options as they seek to strengthen their numbers in the middle of the park.

It is thought that another Ligue One player, Nice’s Khephren Thruam is back on the club’s radar, in addition to the likes of Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure. For now, though, it is not clear who will be the club’s number-one priority after losing out on Caicedo.