Carlos Baleba will dominate the transfer columns at Manchester United after Benjamin Sesko was secured, but Ruben Amorim had the chance to create a Baleba of his own in pre-season.
Ruben Amorim has been saying it from the first game of pre-season at Manchester United that they need an “athletic” profile in the midfield.
That was said after the draw against Leeds, and Casemiro strengthened that claim in the last game against Fiorentina, also a draw in regular time.
Baleba is perfect to add that and more, but the deal won’t be easy. It is why it’s confusing to see Amorim miss out on the opportunity to create his own Baleba during these five pre-season games.
Kobbie Mainoo, Sekou Kone of Manchester United in action during a first team training session as part of their pre-season tour of the USA at Soldier Field Stadium on July 25, 2025
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim should have powered Sekou Kone’s breakthrough
United, at various points during the pre-season, have seen Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer, Bruno Fernandes, and Casemiro struggle in the deeper midfield role.
Amorim kept saying he wants athleticism and pace in the middle, while giving zero minutes to Sekou Kone in pre-season.
It was worrying in the middle of the pre-season, and now that it has ended and Kone’s minutes remain at zero, it’s time to question it.
Kone looked the part in the post-season tour last season, and United changed plans for Kone’s loan to keep him around the first-team squad for this pre-season.
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The Malian could have been the answer to United’s midfield problems, or he might not have. Either way, things would have become clear after five games against top-level opposition.
Instead, United are left with a “what if” scenario because Kone has basically lost a crucial month where he could have been playing pre-season with another team, or solidified his breakthrough at Old Trafford.
Carlos Baleba was in Kone’s position once
It is easy to see Kone not given a chance and come to the conclusion that he’s not ready, but that conclusion can only be reached when he’s played and looked not ready.
Baleba was in a similar position to Kone once, arriving at Lille from Cameroon.
Lille gave him his first-team debut less than a year after his arrival, and by the end of that season, he was on his way to Brighton.
He joined Lille in January 22, got his debut in the 22/23 season, and joined Brighton for the start of the 23/24 season, solidifying his meteoric rise.
In contrast, Kone has spent a full season at United, and travelled with the squad for the USA tour, and returns having not played a single minute.
There is no way Kone now gets anywhere near the first-team picture, and he’s already lost the opportunity to play first-team football with another team beginning at pre-season.
Amorim deserves credit for how he has given United unexpected wonderkids like Tyler Fredricson, but his handling of Sekou Kone needs to be called out as well.
With potentially five good pre-season games, he could have gifted United a Baleba of their own, much like Erik ten Hag saw Kobbie Mainoo’s rise in pre-season.
Instead, Kone has lost a month, and United are being quoted north of £100m for the Brighton star. The whole thing has been a real head-scratcher.