Man Utd transfer latest as the Reds continue to be linked with Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
Carlos Baleba of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates after scoring the equalising goal during the Premier League match between Fulham and Brighton
Manchester United are keen on Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
Carlos Baleba likes to watch horror films, so moving to Manchester United after a horror season won't scare him.
The 21-year-old midfielder is a target for the Reds as Ruben Amorim seeks to add a partner for Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.
Baleba has impressed at Brighton having moved to the Seagulls from Lille in 2023. He could be the next big money exit from the Amex conveyor belt if United are able to strike a deal.
The player himself may well be open to a move to Old Trafford to join Ruben's revolution, even if he acknowledged last season that any transfer talk wouldn't affect his work rate or desire to be the best version of himself.
"I don't really think like that: playing for two or three years and then leaving," he told Sky Sports of Brighton being a potential stepping stone. "Me? I just work. In my head it's all about working and helping my club.
"If I can help a team-mate, I will. If they can help me, I'll accept that help to push forward and develop. So I just work to help my team and for myself, to progress for the future.
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"In return, everyone who helps me wants me to go to the highest level. And if there are big clubs who want me, it's not something that worries me or gets me excited. I just need to work hard and keep a cool head.
"I don't know if I'm going to be the star or the next big thing. For me, being the star is quite a lot. Everyone talking about you, singing your name? That just doesn't do it for me. It's not something that gets me running. I just prefer getting my head down and working on the pitch."
It's easy to see why United are interested in the Cameroon international. Last season he excelled on the south coast and is among the best performing Premier League players in several metrics - including ball recoveries and interceptions.
He is a physical and competitive midfield general who also breaks the lines with his passing range. His game intelligence has seen him utilised as a sole sitting midfielder by Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, emphasising how adept he is at reading the play and turning defence into attack.
He's not the finished article but is a player with a high ceiling - and a high price tag - with Brighton having no desire to sell someone they spent just over £23million on two years ago. His contract runs until 2028 and reports put his asking price around four times that.
The youngster is an upbeat person in the Brighton dressing room and a happy character with a steely determination to improve and become one of the best midfielders of his generation.
"I’ve already done some things that some kids will never do in their football career," he told the Guardian last season. "I want to do more. I want to be a big midfielder, to be a legend, across the world. To arrive there, I have to work hard."