Manchester United have been as active as any team in the Premier League this summer, and they needed to be. The Red Devils haven’t been legitimate title contenders in ages and haven’t had any remote semblance of a progressing project since the days of Jose Mourinho.
This summer, Manchester United have added three new attacking stars at each of the three positions up front for Ruben Amorim to work with. Benjamin Sesko is a high-upside young striker, while Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were already two of the Premier League’s best forwards last season.
However, Manchester United still need some midfield help, as none of their midfielders besides star man and captain Bruno Fernandes were particularly impressive in the 2024/25 campaign.
Brighton standout Carlos Baleba, at the age of 21, was significantly better than any of Man United’s options last season, and he has been tabbed as a dream transfer target for the Red Devils this year.
Premier League side not willing to sell midfielder
However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has handed Manchester United their most decisive transfer blow in the pursuit of Baleba yet, as the ace insider states that Brighton consider Baleba “not for sale” and have made that “clear”.
Manchester United were considering a record-breaking approach for Baleba, but, now, even they are held off by a price tag demand from the Seagulls that they deem as being “too high”, per Ornstein.
Now, Manchester United are backing away from pursuing a deal for the Premier League midfielder this summer. That doesn’t exclude their continued interest in Baleba, nor does it preclude them from signing him next year.
But it looks like Brighton have no intention of losing their best player and midfield rock before the 2025/26 season as they pursue more European football. Manchester United now have to look at other midfield options for the 2025/26 campaign and consider Baleba for next year.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.