It was fun while it lasted, and it’s not over either by any means, but, at least in the short term, it’s clear that Carlos Baleba won’t sign for Manchester United.
An interest that was a pleasant surprise was given encouragement by the player, but Brighton have proved to be the major and expected hurdle in the chase for Carlos Baleba.
Man Utd had positive talks with Baleba, but they count for nothing if the club puts a large “Not for sale” sign on him, with United now looking at alternatives.
Fortunately, they can sign an alternative for Baleba for just £20m this summer, and he’s a player who can then unleash Baleba next summer if he signs.
Hayden Hackney running with the ball against Leeds United
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Man Utd can sign Hayden Hackney this summer
Ruben Amorim has been clear about his transfer demand of wanting more athleticism in the midfield, but that is in addition to what he already has.
Baleba was the ideal athletic midfielder who has shown signs of proficiency in ball progression, but that is still a work in progress.
In an ideal world, Baleba needs to be partnered with a player who complements his strengths. While he’s an athletic phenom with developing ball progression skills, Hayden Hackney is a ball-progression maestro with developing athletic skills.
At 23, and having never played Premier League football, Hackney is a slight gamble, but at just £20m, he is a gamble worth taking.
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As seen in the graphic below, Hackney has dominated the Championship in terms of progressive passing and carries, standing in the 99th and 98th percentile, respectively.
Hayden Hackney stat-based scouting report via FBRef over last 365 days
Hayden Hackney stat-based scouting report via FBRef over last 365 days
He is a creative force who can also cover the ground at a respectable rate, a skill set that aligns perfectly with Baleba, who eats up the ground and is improving his skills on the ball.
Hackney’s timeline fits with Man Utd squad
United have been linked to Hackney in this window before, but they clearly felt that Baleba was attainable, and he’s the clear first target.
Now that Baleba is out of the picture, they could do a lot worse than Hackney, for a multitude of reasons.
Even beyond the asking price and his snug fit with Baleba, Hackney is perfect, as his age makes him a nice bridge between the current options and the emerging wonderkids.
There are questions over what Hackney’s ceiling might be, but with the likes of Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, and Jacob Devaney in the ranks, just to name a few, Hackney’s ceiling is not a problem.
Even if he only ends up being a rotation player, he will have repaid his transfer fee, and it will allow for the midfield wonderkids at United to stake their claim.
Then there’s the chance that Hackney raises his game to match his new team, in which case the £20m spend will end up looking like a masterstroke.
Ultimately, this is a deal with many upsides and very few, if any, downsides. Brighton closing the door on United for Baleba might end up being a blessing in disguise.
They can sign Baleba’s ideal partner for just £20m this season, and complete their midfield next summer.