Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has shared his thoughts on the possible transfer of his former protégé Carlos Baleba to Manchester United. The Italian coach, who previously worked with the Cameroonian midfielder at Brighton, detailed Baleba's unique playing qualities and immense potential.
De Zerbi reminisced about his early impressions of working with the midfielder:
“When we signed Carlos from Lille, I immediately noticed attributes that are incredibly hard to teach. He was young, but possessed the mentality of a player eager to dominate the midfield. Power, athletic aggression, ball progression, and the ability to win tackles - all these qualities were already in him.
Midfielders are often compared in various ways. Kante had an incredible reading of the game and covered every inch of the pitch. Pedri has outstanding technique and football intelligence. Moises Caicedo is fantastic at tackling and space control. But Baleba has an extremely rare combination of skills.
He can defend like a pure holding midfielder, push the ball forward like an attacking player, and use his physical strength to completely change the rhythm of a match. When he starts to drive forward, you can literally feel the opposing midfield retreating.
I wouldn’t say he’s already stronger than Kante, Pedri, or Moises Caicedo, as each has their own journey and strengths. But I can say this: Baleba has the potential to reach a level where he’ll be mentioned in the same breath as those players, and perhaps one day even surpass them.
If Manchester United were to sign him, they wouldn’t be acquiring a finished product. They’d be getting a player with another undiscovered level within him. And if he reaches that level, they’ll understand why we believed in him from the very start.”
