Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly interested in pursuing a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba. 

The Reds will be looking ahead to the summer transfer window as they all but have the Premier League title wrapped up, with a 13-point lead over Arsenal in the table.

Seeing as Liverpool made only two signings in the entirety of the 2024/25 season, they should have a solid budget to play with next summer for Arne Slot to bring in some more players that will suit his system at Anfield.

According to fresh reports by the Liverpool Echo, the Reds are reportedly interested in signing Brighton midfielder Baleba. The report says that Baleba has been linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium, expecting to cost around £50 million.

He has been with the Seagulls for two years after they signed him from Lille in 2023 for a fee of £23 million. Baleba has since made 64 appearances for Brighton, scoring three goals and contributing two assists.

At the age of just 21, he still has plenty of time to develop into a better player, and he could be the latest Brighton player to make the move to Anfield, following in the path of Alexis MacAllister, who has since become a key part of Slot’s XI at Liverpool.

The report also says that Chelsea are keen on the Cameroonian, as they would likely pair him with Moises Caicedo in midfield – Baleba was brought in at Brighton to replace the Columbian. Liverpool were previously interested in Baleba when he was at Lille.

Liverpool looking to sign a defensive midfielder

Baleba plays the holding midfield role with a level of maturity for Brighton, impressive considering he’s just 21. But the Reds have also been linked to signing an older player in the position.

Recent reports have linked Liverpool to Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who is set to become a free agent in the summer transfer window.

He has also been linked to Arsenal, Manchester City and Barcelona, meaning that any summer move might simply come down to where Kimmich would most want to move to, if Liverpool win the Premier League this season, it could be a huge draw over the likes of Arsenal and City.

Click here to see Liverpool’s first team squad for the 2024/25 season.