Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler reveals why he has had to show Man United target Carlos Baleba tough love ahead of Old Trafford encounter

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has said he had to tell Manchester United target Carlos Baleba to ‘overcome the noise’ at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Cameroon midfielder made a slow start to the season after interest from Manchester United but Brighton wanted in excess of £100million and stood firm.

Baleba only cost the Seagulls £23m from Lille but has already more than tripled his value following an outstanding last campaign. 

The youngster has however endured a slightly tricky start to the season, but he looked back to his best in the win over Newcastle last weekend.

‘I saw a Carlos Baleba who stepped up,’ Hurzeler told Sky Sports. Hurzeler had urged him to ‘take responsibility’ for his situation.

‘These were good actions and good behaviours he showed, but he has to make habits out of those good behaviours. That’s the next step in his development, to bring consistency to his performance,’ he added.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler gave Baleba some tough love after a shaky start to the season

‘For me, it’s always important that I’m very transparent with the players. I have a very good relationship with Carlos. We speak regularly, we are in touch. I always share my thoughts about his development and my thoughts about his performance.

‘It’s important to be very clear about what you expect from players on the pitch, off the pitch. And it’s important to build relationships where you can criticise or give personal feedback they might not be happy about, but they understand the intention behind it.

‘Carlos won’t get better if he only gets compliments and claps from outside. I think he will get better if he has a safe environment, but also honest feedback where he knows what he needs to improve. That’s where we try to support him and make him better.’

Hurzeler’s comments about Baleba come after reports earlier this month that Bryan Mbuemo has been ‘trying to persuade’ his Cameroon team-mate to join him at Manchester United. 

The £71m signing from Brentford has not been at Old Trafford long but is attempting to play his part in strengthening the squad, according to the Sun. 

They report that Mbeumo sees Brighton‘s 21-year-old midfield dynamo as a ‘little brother’ and had been trying to convince him of the potential move during this month’s international break.