Every move Carlos Baleba makes from now on until the end of the transfer window will be closely watched amid interest from Man Utd, and he’s made his latest one.
Man Utd fans‘ wildest expectations were exceeded when the interest in Carlos Baleba was reported, having already spent £200m in the market.
Baleba is perfect for United, so the fact that the club weren’t just making a token gesture for him, but actively engaged in talks was a huge plus.
The midfielder also missed Brighton’s previous game amid intensifying interest, and he’s now made his latest move as Brighton returned to training.
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Carlos Baleba Brighton training update
It is clear that for any move for Baleba to become realistic, two things need to happen.
First, United need to sell well, which they are close to doing with a lucrative sale of Garnacho in the works with Chelsea.
Second, the player needs to make it clear that he wants the move, even if he does so in a professional manner, like Bryan Mbeumo did.
United players are in touch with Baleba, so the interest is clearly mutual, which is why it seems like he’s taking the Mbeumo route instead of burning bridges with Brighton.
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Baleba was spotted in Brighton’s latest training session to calm down the narrative around him after he missed their previous friendly game.
It would have created unnecessary pressure and scrutiny, and probably hardened Brighton’s stance had he started acting up, which is why this is the professional thing to do.
United’s interest, or their chances of signing him, don’t get impacted by Baleba joining Brighton training. But they could have decreased had he been unprofessional.
Baleba is passing Man Utd’s character test
This summer has been one big show of United proving that their pull remains as massive as ever, which is impressive, considering none of the transfers left their club on bad terms.
United have started conducting a clear character test for prospective transfers, where the player who’s of interest needs to stay professional while communicating his desire to come to Old Trafford.
It is the best of both worlds, since United avoid a bidding war for the player, while also knowing that they are signing a model professional.
Baleba, by reporting for Brighton’s training as usual despite his clear interest in joining Man Utd, has passed that test with flying colours.
It’s not a blow that he’s back in training; it’s a boost. This is exactly what Man Utd would have been looking for.