Manchester United might have to explore creative ways to afford Carlos Baleba this summer.
If Ineos get a deal for Benjamin Sesko over the line, Manchester United’s summer spending will surpass the £200 million mark.
The amount spent by the Red Devils has come as a shock to the fanbase after Sir Jim Ratcliffe said that United were going bust by 2025.
But it seems Ineos are not ready to stop after Sesko with reports that United have made contact for Carlos Baleba.
Baleba is valued at £100m by Brighton, but United could include a player swap in the deal to lower their asking price.
Toby Collyer in action for Manchester United wearing 2024/25 home kit.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Man United should offer Toby Collyer in Carlos Baleba deal
Even before United have added a new midfielder to their ranks, it was reported that Toby Collyer could leave on loan this summer.
Collyer is rated extremely highly by United staff, which explains why he made his first-team breakthrough, but the 21-year-old could struggle for minutes in Amorim’s system.
United have not ruled out selling Collyer this summer, and it seems he would be the perfect player to offer Brighton as part of a deal for Baleba.
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Like Baleba, Collyer plays in central midfield, meaning United would be providing Brighton with a direct replacement for the 21-year-old star.
Collyer recorded ‘freakish’ running stats at Carrington, making him an ideal fit for Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler’s style of play.
On top of that, United signed Collyer from Brighton, meaning their coaching staff will be more than familiar with what he can offer.
Toby Collyer was labelled ‘best in country’ while at Brighton
Collyer came up through Brighton’s academy, first joining the Seagulls at an U12s level.
Former U18s Brighton coach Mark Beard was full of praise when speaking about Collyer’s performances on the south coast.
Collyer was called the ‘best in the country’ at playing a defensive midfield role.
“He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don’t know he is there. He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8/10 at the least,” Beard said.
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“As defensive midfielders go, and it is quite a disciplined role, he is probably the best in the country at doing it.”
Adding Collyer to the Baleba offer will surely convince Brighton to lower their asking price, plus the sale of Collyer this summer would represent pure profit from a PSR perspective, which would help fund the big-money signing.