Brighton boss exceedingly confident Carlos Baleba will stay despite Man United interest
Forward trio Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have moved to Old Trafford this summer and it seems United are out to reinforce their midfield before the transfer window closes on 1 September.
Advertisement
It has been reported that Baleba fits the bill for United boss Ruben Amorim, but the Cameroonian, who joined Brighton from Lille in August 2023, still has three years remaining on his contract.
Hurzeler was bullish when asked whether Baleba will remain with the Seagulls this season, adding the 21-year-old is enjoying being at the club and has not been distracted by United's reported interest.
'I didn't see any change in Carlos… he only changed his hair.' 😅 @MonsterEnergy 📲 pic.twitter.com/rQyap5I50D — Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 15, 2025
'Very, very, very confident (he will stay),' Hurzeler told a press conference ahead of Brighton's Premier League curtain-raiser at home to Fulham on Saturday. 'It's just my belief.
'I didn't see any change in him. He only changed his hair, that was the only change he made in the last two weeks!
'But overall, he seems to be in a really good place. He's enjoying it with his team-mates. He's enjoying being a Brighton player.
'He's very grateful to have the progress he made in the last season. I didn't see any big change. He is an option to start for tomorrow.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
5 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Glasner insists Eze will start as long as he's a Palace player after Chelsea stalemate
Chelsea 0 Crystal Palace 0 Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said Eberechi Eze will play for as long as he remains at the club and urged fans not to believe "rumours" the England international is about to be sold. Amid reports of an imminent move, Eze was a surprise inclusion as Palace began their Premier League campaign with a goalless draw against a lacklustre Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He looked to have delivered a potential parting gift to supporters with a brilliant first-half free-kick before VAR intervened controversially to disallow the goal. Referee Darren England initially allowed Eze's bullet finish after 15 minutes to stand, but a rarely-invoked rule stating an attacking player may not stand within a yard of the defensive wall at a free-kick meant the presence of Marc Guehi - another surprise starter amid interest from Liverpool - next to Moises Caicedo constituted a foul. "We know the rule that you have to be one yard away from the wall," said Glasner. "At the beginning we were, maybe we stepped too early because you have to wait until the kicker kicks the ball. If this was the case then maybe it's right." Palace have had talks with Tottenham over Eze and Arsenal are also reported to be keen to sign the midfielder, who scored the winner when the Eagles beat Manchester City to lift the FA Cup at Wembley in May, in light of which he was not expected to feature in west London. The 27-year-old's contract included a £68million release clause that expired on Friday, with neither Spurs nor Arsenal reportedly willing to go that high. "As much as I know, Eze has a contract with Crystal Palace, he's a Crystal Palace player and he showed it today," said Glasner. "As long as he is a Palace player and performs like this he will play for us. Nobody has told me something else. "He was picked because he's a Crystal Palace player and he's a very good player. He trained the whole week so there was no reason not to pick him. "The players are giving their answer (to press speculation) week by week. Last week winning against Liverpool on penalties (in the Community Shield) and here against the club world champions. "Don't always believe what you read, especially on the internet. And here it's the same. Who knows that this is the truth, what is written? You've got rumours, so many rumours." After a truncated pre-season following victory in the Club World Cup, everything pointed to a Chelsea side lacking both preparation and rest as Glasner's men coped relative easily with a new-look yet disjointed attack. Playing 35 days after their win in the final against Paris St Germain, Enzo Maresca's team bore signs of mental fatigue, particularly in a first half low on creativity. Marc Cucurella came close with a header that was cleared off the line, while on their league debuts for the club Liam Delap and 18-year-old Brazil international Estevao Willian also missed chances. However, Maresca was reluctant to blame limited pre-season preparations for a leggy display. "I don't think so, because in the end we competed, we tried to win the game," he said. "We had some chances at the end with Estevao, with Andrey Santos. That showed probably we competed quite good. "They (Palace) have played already seven or eight games, for us we played two friendly games where we tried to share minutes, so our first real game was today." Chelsea: Sanchez, James (Gusto 79), Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Fernandez (Santos 79), Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Bynoe-Gittens (Estevao 54), Joao Pedro (Delap 73). Subs Not Used: Jorgensen, Essugo, Hato, Wesley Fofana, George. Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes (Lerma 70), Mitchell, Sarr, Eze (Devenny 84), Mateta. Subs Not Used: Benitez,Clyne,Esse,Edouard,Sosa,Rak-Sakyi, Cardines. Ref: Darren England (South Yorkshire).
The Irish Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd fans deface Alejandro Garnacho mural with wantaway star keen to force Chelsea transfer through
AN Alejandro Garnacho mural has been defaced outside Old Trafford. The Red Devils kicked off their Premier League season by taking on Arsenal at Old Trafford. 3 An Alejandro Garnacho mural was defaced outside Old Trafford Credit: Getty 3 Fans made their stance on Garnacho clear Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Garnacho, 21, was not in the matchday squad, having fallen out with boss Ruben Amorim. The winger is said to have made it clear that he will not play for United again. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano told DAZN earlier this week: "The message coming from the player is, Chelsea or nothing. Chelsea or I stay here and I don't play football for the next six or 12 months." Man Utd fans are not impressed with Garnacho's stance. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Oh-no-na Onana DROPPED by Amorim as Man Utd consider shock De Gea return A mural featuring the bleached-blond wide man could be seen with several crosses drawn through it outside Old Trafford earlier today. When images of the defaced mural reached social media, fans had a mixed response. One wrote: "He brought this to himself tbf." While a second commented: "Lol, let him go then." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK But a third claimed: "Deserved." And another added: "Rightly so. You can't have betrayal in front of the stadium." Wayne Rooney reveals gang of masked thugs turned up at his home after row with Sir Alex Ferguson over Man Utd exit Garnacho has played 144 times for Man Utd, having come through the club's academy. Last season he played in 36 Prem matches, scoring six goals and laying on two assists.
Irish Times
18 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Calafiori pounces on Bayindir error as Arsenal grind to win at Manchester United
Premier League: Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1 (Calafiori 13) Blazing sunshine and a busy new marquee serving craft ale behind the Stretford End: Manchester United began in a shiny new world and finished in the gloom of another defeat. First look at Altay Bayindir's howler that handed Riccardo Calafiori an easy header. But then zoom out and you see this: a crisis at No 1 for United that features Ruben Amorim going all summer not fancying André Onana and still turning up for the season opener without a replacement. Result: dropping the Cameroonian completely. Arsenal failed to fire throughout – Viktor Gyökeres's 60-minute debut was a non-event – but they didn't need to with United so dismal at both ends. Towards the close Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo tripped over Arsenal players in a hectic scramble to cancel out Calafiori's strike: a snapshot of United's chronic toothlessness. Moments later, a better Mbeumo headed effort drew a good save from David Raya. There were further goalmouth scrambles but no United player could stick the ball in the net. READ MORE In a middling contest, Amorim's team had to do what the visiting left-back did – with this 13th-minute goal a disaster for United and a joy for him. Declan Rice arrowed a corner in from the left, a clownish Bayindir merely palmed the ball on, and Calafiori nodded home a ball already heading in. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard challenges Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. Photograph:'One-nil to the Arsenal' came the ecstatic taunt from the faithful. United complained that Bayindir was caught in a melee but we witnessed the questionable summer transfer strategy of spending £200 million-plus and not recruiting a top-rated No 1. Just as suspect was the XI sent out that could be marked 'curio' with Amorim preferring Casemiro to Manuel Ugarte in midfield, and Mason Mount was the nominal No 9 (no squad place for Rasmus Højlund), though Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha started. The new boys began fast – Mbeumo barged over Martín Zubimendi (also on debut), Cunha ran in, howled for his twin-10 to pass, he did, but Arsenal escaped. Mikel Arteta , who issued a trademark moan at Mbeumo's challenge, had to watch as Mbeumo again motored along his right corridor but the shot was a pea-roller into Raya's hands. At this juncture, United were fast and furious, even when defending. From a Bruno Fernandes corner Arsenal broke and Mount hared back to help out. Then, after Calafiori's winner, United were back in counterattack mode. A proposition of serial moments but none of the patterns Amorim (surely) craves. Patrick Dorgu hit a post. The live wire Cunha wriggled in a left zone and turned and forced a Raya reflex save. Zubimendi's foul on Fernandes had the latter hitting the wall to the right of the area. A scintillating Cunha run took him from halfway through a thicket of opponents and clear in but the effort was scuffed. Mbeumo's cute lay-off was followed by a 25-yard Cunha hit straight at Raya. Manchester United's Matheus Cunha (right) dejected as Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates after the final whistle. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Yet without Bayindir's howler Arteta would have had the harder half-time chat as his team was no smooth unit, tapping the ball about, manoeuvring those in red about like Subbuteo pieces. Rice and Zubimendi exerted scant control in central areas and Gyökeres laboured and suffered from his team-mates' creation-deficit. United, brighter in this department, saw Mount fluff their latest attempt, so Amorim had to do something – be patient (in hope) or make a change. He chose the latter. Amad (another surprising exclusion) entered for the average Diogo Dalot and the Ivorian impressed – one more Amorim team selection puzzler. Benjamin Sesko, continually warming up, watched on as Fernandes flipped in a dead-ball from the left corner flag and Raya rose and punched away – as Bayindir fatally failed to. To boos Gyökeres was hooked on the hour for Kai Havertz. The derision came from spurned suitors after the Swede chose north London not south Manchester. But jeers became cheers as Sesko was given a 25-minute debut – for the anonymous Mount. Ugarte, too, was introduced, for Casemiro. Immediately, a tangle with Noni Maduke, another visiting substitute, was the midfield bite United lacked. Amorim's men were lacking all over the park. A tight win for Arsenal. One more chastening day for the Portuguese's project. – Guardian
