Manchester United’s chase of Carlos Baleba failed in the summer, and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler’s latest admission should make their decision next summer extremely easy.
In the summer, Carlos Baleba was the apple of the eye of every European elite after a breakthrough campaign with Brighton.
Man Utd tried and failed with their interest, but it was an open secret that the pursuit was shelved, not over, with Hurzeler admitting Baleba was affected by it.
Now that Baleba has had a few months to recover from that distraction, Hurzeler’s latest Baleba admission should make United’s decision on the player straightforward.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty ImagesFabian Hurzeler makes Carlos Baleba admission
As much of a distraction as it has been for Baleba, spare a thought for Hurzeler, who’s doing a good job at Brighton, and yet faces a question about Baleba before and after every game.
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Baleba has struggled immensely this season, with hints of a return to form quashed quickly by a nightmare display soon after.
He hit his nadir, ironically, at Old Trafford against United when Brighton were dominated off the park in a 4-2 win where the scoreline doesn’t do justice to the performance.
Baleba’s reaction to the interest in him has raised questions about his mentality and his ability to perform under pressure, which is a non-negotiable for Man Utd players.
Hurzeler’s latest admission won’t fill people at Carrington with confidence.
He said: “Don’t put Carlos Baleba under pressure and say, ‘You must play well’, because, of course, he wants to play well. It’s about the small steps.
“We are now four months into the season. I think we can’t speak about these rumours anymore. It’s about being a Brighton player, performing here. Avoid the noise, avoid the rumours, and focus on things you can influence and things you can do best, that is football.”
Baleba struggling under pressure is a red flag for Man Utd
It has been sensed throughout the season, but Hurzeler publicly admitting that Baleba is feeling the pressure has to be a red flag for Man Utd.
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If he can’t flourish under the pressure of just United’s interest, bringing more eyes to his game, then how will he deal when he’s playing for United, and everybody will be watching?
Nobody can doubt Baleba’s talent, but mentality is equally as big a part of succeeding at Old Trafford as talent, arguably an even bigger one, in fact.
It takes a steely resolve to play at United, or to come back from mistakes and try it again, something which Baleba looks incapable of doing.
It might well be the case that he rediscovers his mojo when he gets his dream move and signs for United, but can the club fork out £100m ignoring that risk?
The decision is easy. Pivot to Elliot Anderson at all costs and play hardball with Brighton over Baleba. Anything over £70m would be a huge risk at this point.