Hurzeler concedes Brighton must 'face adversities' as United's £70m Baleba deal nears completion

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has all but accepted that Carlos Baleba is on his way to Manchester United, after the two clubs agreed a £70 million deal on Friday for the Cameroon international midfielder.

United raised their offer by £5 million — a £65 million base fee plus £5 million in add-ons — before Brighton accepted. Speaking after Brighton’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, Hurzeler offered a notably more resigned tone than he had struck in his pre-match press conference two days earlier.

“No, I can’t tell you anything because we have to wait on how it develops in the next few hours,” Hurzeler told BBC Radio Sussex. “Overall, we have to understand that it’s part of our identity, and that it’s part of the journey the club is on. Therefore, I’m not here to complain. We all find solutions together, we need to stick together, and we need to face different adversities.”

The shift in language was stark. On Friday, Hurzeler had maintained the club line: “He’s a Brighton player. As I said, I’ll never comment on any rumours that are currently in the media — it’s also something I definitely can’t control.”

Sources indicate that Brighton’s position throughout last summer’s transfer window had been to hold out for a fee exceeding the £115 million Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo — then a British record — three years ago. The agreed £70 million package falls short of that benchmark, though it still represents a significant return on a player who has become one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League.

Baleba would join Danny Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke as Brighton departures in the current window, underlining the continued pressure on Hurzeler to rebuild his squad mid-season.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick, speaking after Saturday’s defeat to Hull City, declined to be drawn on the transfer. “I had all eyes on today, so any other player, until he’s ours, it’s not for me to comment on,” he said.

Former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino praised the prospective signing, arguing that Baleba’s pressing intensity and energy are precisely what United have been missing. “He can get around the pitch, high tempo, pressing, closing down,” Cascarino said. “This team yesterday didn’t look like they had any fight in them — and that’s why they got beaten.”

Personal terms and a medical are understood to be the remaining steps before the deal is formally concluded.