If you thought Chelsea were done with their £160m+ duo of signings in Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers, you’d be wrong. The latest target could well reach another nine figures.
Rogers has cost the club a record fee, arriving for £117m after Chelsea had beaten Inter Milan to the £47m signing of Palestra. Today, Chelsea have announced their third signing, youngster Harrison Bettoni.
With his best mate Morgan Rogers announced, how many goals and assists does Cole Palmer get this season?👀
The Blues are making waves in the market. Alex Scott wants to join even if a £64m bid was rejected, while talks for Maxence Lacroix is ongoing. Even John Stones has emerged as a target for Chelsea this week.
Chelsea fans were even shocked to hear that a PSG player could end up at Stamford Bridge, after Illia Zabarnyi was offered to the Blues. Now, another Brighton man is on the list, in midfielder Carlos Baleba.
Carlos Baleba admits he idolised N’Golo Kante growing up
Chelsea are interested in the Brighton star as Xabi Alonso looks to bring in a midfielder, after missing out on Granit Xhaka. Enzo Fernandez’s future remains a doubt, but Baleba would be a separate signing.
Compared to Moises Caicedo in the past, Baleba has impressed at Brighton. The Seagulls have often sold players to Chelsea and that could be resurrected once again, even if he would likely cost nine figures.
Reports say Chelsea have been long-term admirers of Baleba, ever since the Club World Cup. Now, this summer, it is claimed the Blues are considering a move for him ahead of interest from Man United.
Who would you like to see partner Moises Caicedo in midfield next season? Carlos Baleba or someone else?
The Brighton star is being linked with a move to Chelsea!
Last year, during a TikTok with GOAL, Baleba was asked to name the five players he idolised growing up. He named a player Chelsea sold in 2023, in the form of N’Golo Kante. Andres Iniesta was also named.
Why Baleba could be the next Kante in a Chelsea shirt
Baleba is yet to reach 100 appearances in the Premier League, eight shy of the landmark, while it may surprise people that Kante would only end up playing 227 times in the top division of English football.
| Metric (Per 90 Minutes) | Carlos Baleba (Brighton) | N’Golo Kanté (Leicester / Chelsea) |
| Tackles Attempted | 3.25 | 3.85 |
| Tackles Won | 2.10 | 2.65 |
| Interceptions | 1.42 | 2.58 |
| Total Duels Won | 5.40 | 5.85 |
| Duel Success Rate % | 52.8% | 51.4% |
| Touches | 61.2 | 68.7 |
| Passes Attempted | 49.5 | 56.8 |
| Pass Completion % | 85.2% | 85.8% |
| Progressive Carries | 2.35 | 1.82 |
| Ball Recoveries | 6.82 | 8.15 |
Kante is one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, and the majority of his stats are better, per 90 minutes, than Baleba’s. But the latter is still young and the majority of those stats are not far off Kante.
He’s not on Kante’s level, but he plays similarly, and his stats are not dissimilar. If Chelsea sign the Brighton star, there is every chance he can be just as effective as Kante was while at Stamford Bridge.
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