Fabrizio Romano reveals that Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba remains “super keen” on a switch to Old Trafford, but it remains to be seen whether this desire is matched by Manchester United.
Defensive Midfielder
The decision to pull the plug on a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson has left Manchester United’s midfield light on physicality, given Casemiro’s exit and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury.
Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are excellent technicians who will bring guile and control to Michael Carrick’s side, particularly alongside Kobbie Mainoo. Santos is also an excellent ball-winner, with the potential to develop into a long-term successor to Casemiro.
The need for an imposing No.6 to anchor the midfield remains, however, even after having spent £85 million – £50 million on Santos, £35 million on Tielemans. There were reports United could look to reignite a pursuit of Ederson, but this has been ruled out with the Brazilian signing a new five-year contract in Bergamo.
Having faced rejection in the pursuit of Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, the club have pivoted towards alternatives. AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Manu Kone of AS Roma are options under consideration, as is a Real Madrid superstar.
But Baleba is another target United have on the radar after overtures were made to sign the Brighton No.17 last summer. Personal terms were understood to be agreed with the player, only for the Seagulls’ refusal to enter negotiations to end any hope of a deal.
United’s hierarchy have maintained dialogue with the 22-year-old over the past 12 months should the decision to reignite a pursuit be made – which Sky Sports claims INEOS are now “strongly considering”. This agreement with the player is understood to remain in place from last summer.
Baleba is pushing for the move
Fabrizio Romano has provided a different explanation of recent “contact” between Baleba and Manchester United, however. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian transfer expert claims it is the Cameroon international’s camp who have initiated recent talks, not the Red Devils.
“From my understanding, Baleba one year ago [in] August 2025 was pushing like crazy to go to Man United. [He] had an agreement on personal terms with Man United, so he had his dream to become a United player. Then Man United couldn’t proceed because Brighton didn’t want to sell the player. He was a top target for [Ruben] Amorim, and so nothing happened,” Romano states.
Since Amorim’s departure in January, the interest in Baleba from Old Trafford had gone “cold”, with other targets being explored instead. However, figures “close to the player have been in contact again with Man United to suggest the possibility to return for Baleba. So it is from Baleba’s side that they are trying to understand if there is a chance to reopen conversations and negotiations”.
Romano confirms United are “looking for a third midfielder” with the “plan” being for this recruit to be a No.6. And while Baleba remains “super keen” on the move to M16, it “depends on the club – whether they want to proceed or not.” The Red Devils are not the only Premier League side eyeing a swoop, however.
Final Thoughts
Stylistically, Baleba is exactly what the doctor ordered for Manchester United. The club’s recruitment team are understood to consider him an “outstanding fit”. A deal would be struck in an “ideal world”, one well-placed source reveals.
However, Brighton’s valuation of £100 million is believed to still be in place, though the Seagulls keep their cards extremely close to their chest so even this is not guaranteed. But what is certain is that INEOS would not be prepared to table an offer worth anywhere near that amount – which makes Baleba’s dream move to the Theatre of Dreams an unlikely scenario this summer.
Featured image Ryan Pierse via Getty Images
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1 comment
100M ain’t happening for Yanited, those days are done.