Is Carlos Baleba the singular solution to Manchester United’s woes?
Manchester United have been eyeing a move to bring in a new midfielder when the next windows come around after the Premier League heavyweights failed to sign a new player for the second phase in the recently concluded transfer window. And the Manchester Reds have been looking to bring in a ceiling-raising maestro to the roster at M16.
United ready to spend Pogba like money on Baleba
Is Carlos Baleba the singular solution to Manchester United's woes?.
Baleba remains Amorim’s choice because he fits his tactics
Among a few names linked with a move to Old Trafford, Carlos Baleba’s name is right at the top of the list, and according to the latest from TEAMtalk, the Brighton midfielder has been firmly on United’s radar after the Reds weighed up a move to bring him to M16 earlier in the recently concluded summer transfer window. But if we look at the summer and the asking price for his signatures from Brighton, it was quite hefty, given how the Seagulls were reportedly asking for around £100m with a clear message that the 21-year-old Cameroon international wasn’t going anywhere till you paid up.
But that might change soon given how Ruben Amorim is reshaping his squad as per his playing style, and Baleba has emerged as one of the top priorities at M16 for 2026. And this time around, United are said to be prepared to go big for his signature, with reports claiming how the Premier League heavyweights are willing to break their all-time transfer record (the £89.3m spent on Paul Pogba back in 2016) to get a deal with Brighton over the line.
Now that is not a small statement; it shows how the chiefs at Carrington are ready to spend, and these are early signs that they know how a proper midfield player can end up being the final piece that United have been missing.
Amorim knows he needs a midfielder
Amorim worried as Cunha and Mount limp off in United's dramatic 3-2 win over Burnley
Amorim needs a new midfielder to support his rebuild at M16; Is Baleba the right man?
We have seen some flashes of brilliance from the current roster at M16, but then the supporters at Old Trafford are still asking questions around the balance of the squad and how the team are still progressing the ball without bouncing it off midfielders, making it easier for opponents to turn it over. And bringing in Baleba can end up ticking a lot of those boxes given how he would be an athletic presence in the middle of the park. We have seen him be a press-resistant presence as well, and he is someone who is quite brave when it comes to the ball at his feet.
Baleba has already been looking a cut above his teammates at Brighton in his short time on the south coast, and his potential ceiling is quite high, which has not gone unnoticed among the English top-tier elites. And United will not be alone in tracking him either, given how the 21-year-old has been on the radar of multiple clubs across Europe since he used to play for Lille, but then Brighton moved early and smart to secure him, and now if United want him now, they need to move early as well. But he won’t be cheap, yet it quite looks like he has the potential to become an integral part of the spine that Amorim is looking to create at M16.
There are considerable alternatives to Baleba…
Chelsea have reportedly joined Liverpool and other major clubs in the race for the potential transfer of Crystal Palace central midfielder Adam Wharton.
Crystal Palace central midfielder Adam Wharton could be an alternative if United choose not to move for Baleba.
That being said, Baleba is not the only name on the possible transfer list at Carrington, given the recent report from TEAMtalk suggesting how Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton and Sporting Lisbon dynamo Morten Hjulmand have also been watched closely by the decision-makers at United. And both of them are young profiles as well who have made a big impact for their respective employers. More importantly, both of them would come at more manageable prices as well.
It is worth understanding that the Reds’ interest in bringing in Hjulmand comes with a huge built-in advantage given the fact that Amorim knows him inside out from their time together at Sporting, and if the club decides to pivot from Baleba, the Danish international can end up being an easier as well as cheaper alternative to land. The given history of successful transfers from Sporting to United will also provide a boost to the fact that the Portuguese giants are always willing to negotiate big exits if they are shown the right amount of money.
Then comes Wharton, who has been a revelation for the Eagles, and he quite fits the mould of the modern English midfielder, but then the question would be whether United see him as ready to step straight into their eleven given how he is still developing a few attributes.
Well, either way, one thing is clear: that United are not waiting around, and while the summer window was aggressive and decisive, we also saw how the club made sure they cleared out the surplus in that dressing room, but now, given the current balance, the midfield needs to be reinforced, and now we are getting a clearer picture of the names being lined up for the upcoming windows.
Signing either of them would be a headline, but United will need to see which one of them aligns more with a long-term vision that the club has, and if that means they do decide to smash the transfer record to land the Brighton man, it will be a proper signal of intent for the next era of this rebuild.
Who would you take in Manchester United’s midfield of the aforementioned names? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.