Tuesday night saw Manchester United’s chase to sign a midfielder begin with Carlos Baleba linked with a transfer.
While not prioritised through the opening two months of the transfer window, Manchester United now appear to be focussing on signing a new midfielder next.
United are closing in on Benjamin Sesko to bolster the striker position with the Slovenian now thought to be ‘ready to fly’ to Manchester as talks near agreement.
So with this transfer beginning to look like a matter of time, now United have approached Carlos Baleba’s camp to enquire over his interest in potentially joining the Red Devils.
Signing a player as talented as Baleba would be a massive boost for United right now, with Ruben Amorim demanding an athletic midfielder this summer as a lack of intensity has cost the Red Devils.
Baleba would be the perfect long-term Kobbie Mainoo partner, with the pair complementing each other perfectly in the centre of the park.
Carlos Baleba in action for Brighton.
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim dreaming of signing Carlos Baleba
The Baleba links are a dream come true for large portions of the United fanbase who have campaigned for the Cameroonian midfield destroyer to be targeted.
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Signing the 21-year-old won’t be easy, and now Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on the situation, revealing that Amorim is a massive fan of the Brighton star.
“In the last hours, United have approached the camp of Carlos Baleba to say they are very interested. Now, this deal is very difficult because Brighton don’t want to lose the player. The price will be very high, so very complicated deal.
“From the players side, United haven’t received a no, so Baleba hasn’t said ‘no I won’t come to Manchester United because we don’t have European football, or because of this or that. Carlos Baleba didn’t close the door to Manchester United.
“Manchester United are going for a midfielder and Baleba is the dream target. Carlos Baleba is seen as the perfect player by Ruben Amorim for his midfield.”
There is no denying that Baleba would be a huge midfield upgrade for United and his qualities probably allow Bruno Fernandes to have a much more natural role in midfield for United.
Baleba will do all the defensive work for United’s midfield, while he also has the ability to progress play unlike Manuel Ugarte.
Despite such a large price tag, United will be hopeful that Baleba’s willingness to make the move will see him force a move.
Manchester United were linked with Carlos Baleba in 2023
Baleba has grown into one of the best midfielders in the entire Premier League, with expectations that he will step into the company of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo over the next 12 months.
However, before this, Baleba was a wonderkid emerging at Lille in Ligue 1.
Back in 2023, United were interested in an 18-year-old Baleba, which shows once again that scouts were doing excellent work and should have been trusted.
Signing Baleba in 2025 will likely mean a package deal around the £100m mark, which is a substantial amount, however arguably the level expected in order to sign players of this quality.
The chances of this coming off remains slim at the moment, but this summer has taught us that if United make a public approach, usually they are confident and aware of the terms required to make it happen.