Hurzeler stays tight-lipped as Man Utd table £65m bid for Brighton's Baleba

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler refused to be drawn on Manchester United’s pursuit of midfielder Carlos Baleba on Friday, as the club’s Premier League season prepares to get under way against Aston Villa on Sunday.

United have submitted a formal offer of £60million plus £5m in add-ons for the 22-year-old Cameroon international, who has reportedly already agreed personal terms on a move to Old Trafford. The bid represents a significant reduction on the £100m Brighton were quoting for Baleba 12 months ago, and United are said to be confident a deal can be concluded. Manager Michael Carrick is keen to add Baleba to a midfield already strengthened by the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.

Hurzeler, speaking to reporters ahead of the Villa fixture, confirmed Baleba would miss the game due to an ankle injury sustained in pre-season, but offered little else on the transfer speculation. “He’s a Brighton player. Like I said, I’ll never comment on any rumours that are currently in the media, it’s also something I definitely can’t control,” the German coach said. “A lot of things are written, I know about situations but again, in two days I have a very important game together with my team and with my staff. We want to have a good start in the Premier League season, that’s the only focus we have at the moment.”

His measured response mirrored that of Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, who addressed the situation a day earlier. “It’s not something that I can talk about right now,” Barber said. “This time of year we’re always going to be subject to bids for our players, we’re always going to be interested in ones that are sensible and are going to make sense for us financially, economically. But we also have to balance that with making sure our squad is as strong as it can be.”

Barber did not hide his regard for the player, describing Baleba as “a hugely talented young midfielder who’s done really well for us and has attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world now for a couple of years.”

Brighton are simultaneously fielding interest from Liverpool in winger Yankuba Minteh, having already rejected a £50m bid from Andoni Iraola’s side. The Seagulls have become well-versed in navigating high-profile departures, having lost several key players to Premier League rivals in recent seasons.

“In football, you have to understand, it’s normal if you’re successful as a team, if the team is doing well, they’ve had some good achievements, then an individual can shine,” Hurzeler said. “Then of course there will be big interest.” The club’s ability to resist or manage that interest — on two fronts simultaneously — will be tested in the days ahead.