According to reports, Liverpool have decided to ‘rival’ Manchester United and other clubs in the race to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton.
Baleba is likely to secure a big move elsewhere at some point this year as he is attracting interest from several clubs.
The Brighton standout has emerged as one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League and Man Utd made an audacious attempt to sign in in the summer.
The Red Devils turned their attention to Baleba after spending around £230m to sign Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens.
However, Man Utd soon realised that a move was not possible in the summer as they had limited funds and could not afford a deal which would have likely cost around £100m.
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This failed transfer has clearly impacted Baleba, who struggled at the start of this season and was a shadow of his former self. However, his form has picked up in recent months and he remains likely to leave Brighton for a significant fee this year.
Man Utd have him on their radar as a potential long-term replacement for Casemiro, though they are also being linked with Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.
On Friday, a report from Sky Sports claimed Man Utd have ‘explored signing conditions’ this month, but ‘no deal is expected in January’.
The report adds:
‘It is understood Man Utd’s priority in 2026 is signing at least one – maybe two – top central midfielders. Baleba is on a list of top targets that also includes Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Wolves’ Joao Gomes.
‘We can also reveal United are looking at younger prospects such as Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Olympiakos’ Christos Mouzakitis.’
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Now, a report from Caught Offside claims Liverpool have opted to ‘rival’ Man Utd for Baleba, who is now valued at 100 million euros (£86m).
Baleba is said to be the ‘top target’ of these clubs, but Brighton are said to have sent a ‘message’ to interested clubs regarding the centre-midfielder.
A source for the outlet said: “Brighton are fielding multiple enquiries for Baleba this month.
“There are teams who would ideally bring him in this January, but the message is that that won’t be possible. No one realistically expects him to stay beyond the summer, though.”