Ruben Amorim has been a busy man throughout his first preseason as Manchester United boss. After the club's worst season in Premier League history, he's brought in a number of players to bolster his side and turn things around at Old Trafford. The likes of Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon have already come through the doors and stars such as Benjamin Sesko have been linked with the Red Devils.
He isn't the only one, though. Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba is also on United's radar and reports suggest the club could make a move for him before the transfer window slams shut. The defensive midfielder joined the Seagulls in 2023 and became a key figure for them last season.
He played 40 games in all competitions throughout the 2024/25 campaign and has caught the eye of top sides, including United. They view him as the ideal candidate to slot into the middle of their team and replace Casemiro long-term. Having an elite defensive midfielder can be the difference-maker for teams these days. Adding the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo has helped turn Arsenal and Chelsea into quality sides at the top end of the Premier League table. How does Baleba compare to those men, though? Well, let's take a look at how his statistics last season match up with the duo.
Defensive Statistics
There is a clear winner
While defensive midfielders are expected to contribute in a variety of different areas on the pitch, their key job is to help defensively, so it only makes sense to look at the trio's defensive statistics first. There's a clear winner in this category, with Brighton's Baleba coming out on top in four of the eight different areas looked at.
The 21-year-old put up better numbers than both Caicedo and Rice on a per-90-minute basis. He won an average of 1.4 aerial duels every 90 minutes, as well as 6.8 duels in total. In comparison, the Chelsea man averaged one successful aerial duel and 6.4 overall, and the Arsenal star averaged 1.3 successful aerial duels every 90 minutes and 3.9 in total.
He also averaged more interceptions (1.6) and more ball recoveries (6.7) per-90 than the others, with Caicedo averaging 1.4 and 6.2 and Rice averaging 0.8 and 5 respectively.
He didn't come out on top of every defensive category, though. Rice put up better numbers in a couple, averaging more clearances (1.6) and more blocked shots (0.5) per 90 minutes than either of the others. He also recorded fewer fouls a game than his rivals. The only statistic that Caicedo won was the average number of tackles he made every 90 minutes, with 3.1 compared to Baleba's 2.7 and Rice's 1.7.
Baleba vs Caicedo vs Rice defensively
Statistic per-90 minutes
Tackles made
Fouls committed
Aerial duels won
Total duels won
Clearances
Interceptions
Blocked shots
Ball recoveries
Possession Statistics
Caicedo runs away with this category
Midfielders are also expected to control possession for their teams, so it's important to take a look at how well the trio performed in possession last season too. Caicedo runs away with this category, as the Chelsea star comes out on top in all 10 categories. He averaged more attempted passes a game (57.8) than Rice (46.9) and Baleba (43.9) and he completed more than the others.
He didn't just attempt more passes, but he also had a higher success rate with them, recording a higher passing accuracy percentage. He was more accurate with his long balls and his crossing. He averaged more through balls and more forward passes. It wasn't just distributing the ball where he shone, though. He also had more touches on the ball and lost possession less on average than either of the others. He was also tackled less than either Baleba or Rice. All in all, Caicedo dominated the possession statistics.
Baleba vs Caicedo vs Rice possession
Statistic per-90 minutes
Passes attempted
Passes completed
Passing accuracy
Long pass accuracy
Crossing accuracy
Through-balls
Forward passes
Touches
Possession lost
Times tackled
Offensive Statistics
Rice emerged victorious here
The last category worth looking at is offensive statistics and this is where Rice had the chance to shine. The Arsenal man is one of the best midfielders in the world and while his capabilities defending have never been doubted, he's also impressive offensively. The Englishman averaged more goals, assists, chances created and shots per-90 minutes than either of the others.
Rice also had more success with his shots, recording a higher conversion rate than either of the others. In summary, all three men excelled in their own rights last season and while Baleba might not have had the same impact in possession or offensively as Caicedo or Rice, his defensive numbers were superior. Whether he can replicate that success with United remains to be seen.
Baleba vs Caicedo vs Rice offensively
Statistic per-90 minutes
Goals
Assists
Shots
Conversion rate
Chances created
All statistics courtesy of Squawka and Transfermarkt and accurate as of 07/08/2025