'Full agreement reached' - Brighton closing in on £25m midfielder

According to transfer journalist Santi Aouna, the Seagulls have seen a £25.6m bid accepted by the Ligue One side for the 19-year-old.

Baleba has now been given permission to travel to the UK and undergo his medical this week, with personal terms said to be no issue in the deal.

However, Lille sources say there is still no agreement between the two clubs in place, having rejected Brighton’s original offer of £16m plus add-ons last week.

The Cameroonian is said to be the Sussex side’s ideal replacement for Moises Caicedo, after the midfielder was sold to Chelsea for a British transfer record fee of £115m.

Baleba predominately plays in midfield, but can also operate as a centre-back. The teenager is highly regarded in Ligue 1 and is seen as a top talent for the future.

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Having made his debut for Lille in August last year, Baleba went on to make 21 appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s team, finishing in fifth place and qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

The youngster was left out of Lille's starting eleven for their recent 2-0 victory against Nantes.

If the Baleba deal was to go ahead, it would take Brighton’s spending for the summer above £80m, a record-breaking sum for the club.

The Albion would still come out of this transfer window with more than £90m proft; thanks to the sales of Caicedo, Robert Sanchez and Alexis Mac Allister for a combined total of £170m.