Carlos Baleba reacts to emotional message after confirmed Brighton exit
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba has reacted to a heartfelt message on social media after an exit was confirmed by the Seagulls.
Brighton enjoyed a great season under young head-coach Fabian Hurzeler last term, and Baleba was a key performer as they finished eighth in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old box-to-box midfielder made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls, and Brighton named Baleba as their Young Player of the Season in May after he won the Premier League’s April Goal of the Month award for a stunning strike against West Ham [Brighton].
His standout performances in the heart of Hurzeler’s side have seen him courted by some big clubs, and Football Insider revealed in March that Liverpool were keeping tabs on Baleba ahead of the summer window.
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in May that the Reds are not set to meet Brighton’s £100million asking price for Baleba this summer, but he has now moved to react after an emotional AMEX Stadium departure was confirmed.
Simon Adingra sends ‘thank you’ message to Brighton
Baleba remains a Seagulls player for now, but Brighton moved to confirm the exit of a first-team player on Instagram on Thursday (10 July) as Simon Adingra made the move to Sunderland, saying: “We wish Simon the very best of luck as he completes a permanent move to Sunderland, for undisclosed terms.”
Adingra is believed to have cost Sunderland an initial fee of around €21million (£18.1m) [The Athletic], and he joins the newly-promoted Premier League side having been at Brighton since 2022.
The Ivory Coast international made 73 appearances in his three years on the south-coast, and moved to send an emotional message to those at the club following his confirmed exit, saying: “Thank you (Brighton) for the memories, the lessons, and the growth. It’s time for a new chapter, but this place will always have a part of my heart.”
Baleba responded to Adingra’s message by liking his post, while Georginio Rutter commented pleading face, red heart and praying emojis, Jack Hinshelwood replied with a red heart emoji and Tariq Lamptey added: “Good luck bro!”
Adingra is a great signing for Sunderland
Football Insider verdict
Brighton have sprung somewhat of a surprise in letting Adingra leave the club this summer, especially to another top-flight team, and Sunderland will be ecstatic that they have been able to sign a player of his talent and experience as they prepare to return to Premier League action.
The Black Cats are in need of a good few quality additions to give them any sort of chance next season, after winning an unlikely promotion through the play-offs, and so signing Adingra, who has 60 Premier League appearances at 23-years-old, could prove to be a masterstroke.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 73 | 12 | 5 |
He is exactly the kind of player that Regis Le Bris needs, in that he has pace in abundance and the potential to become a top winger with the right coaching to work on his end product.
Sunderland have already broken their transfer record to sign Habib Diarra from Strasbourg, while highly-rated Belgian Pro League talents Noah Sadiki and Chemsdine Talbi have also joined this summer, so this looks to be another in a rapidly growing list of smart signings ahead of a huge campaign.