Carlos Baleba

Key strength: Ball retention

Deep-lying playmaker

Brighton & Hove Albion sit in an uncharacteristic 9th place after a turbulent run of form (LLWLW), but amid the inconsistency, one constant is emerging: 22-year-old Carlos Baleba. The Cameroonian defensive midfielder—wearing the number 17 shirt—has already racked up 23 appearances this season, commanding a staggering €55 million market value that marks him as one of Europe's most coveted young assets. Baleba's influence operates in the shadows. With 0 goals and 0 assists, his contributions don't scream from the stat sheet—they whisper through every attack he snuffs out before it ignites. His 73-rated passing and elite ball retention mark him as a deep-lying playmaker who turns defense into attack with surgical precision. Eight yellow cards tell their own story: this is a player unafraid of the dark arts, engaging with a physicality that disrupts transitions and liberates teammates like Kaoru Mitoma to create forward. With 540 minutes under his belt and a contract running until 2028, Baleba is slowly making the defensive midfield position his own. This is the prototype modern number 6—one whose ceiling continues to rise through interceptions, not goals.