Man United are about to begin the 2025/2026 season without a new midfielder added to Ruben Amorim's squad.
Morten Hjulmand of Sporting Lisbon.(Image: 2025 Gualter Fatia)
"I am very, very confident," Fabian Hurzeler said about Carlos Baleba staying at Brighton.
"I didn't see any change. He seems to be in a very good place, enjoying it with his team-mates."
Baleba has missed Brighton's last four pre-season friendlies with a knee injury, but Hurzeler confirmed he could start against Fulham, ending conspiracy theories about his absence.
Some Manchester United fans speculated Baleba was missing from Brighton's pre-season because a move to Old Trafford was imminent. The truth is a deal for Baleba was always bound to be unlikely this summer.
Brighton value Baleba at around £100million and have planned for him to stay for another season. United have spent close to £200m on their attack, making it difficult to finance a marquee midfield signing.
Having said that, it's obvious that Ruben Amorim needs a new addition in that area because there are concerns about who is best to partner Bruno Fernandes in the deeper midfield roles.
Manuel Ugarte is likely to start alongside Fernandes in the pivot against Arsenal, but Ugarte hasn't truly convinced since his arrival last summer. Kobbie Mainoo has played in that role in pre-season, while Casemiro is over the hill and shouldn't be starting Premier League games in 2025.
Ugarte has not been convincing.(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images.)
Speaking at Friday's press conference, Amorim discussed signing a midfielder and insisted: "I'm really happy with our players, they are working really well and we have players in that position, so we are prepared to win any game with our players."
He added: "Maybe Mason Mount is a player who can play in that position if we want something different. But we have players to cope and win games in the Premier League."
Ugarte was supposed to be a midfield solution. The 24-year-old was signed to provide defensive cover and it doesn't reflect well on him that United are planning to invest in that area again.
Baleba would be an exciting addition and he could be the perfect foil for Mainoo with a long-term view, but United are now prepared to delay their interest in the Brighton midfielder until next summer.
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That means an alternative may need to be signed before the transfer deadline day. United look light in midfield, especially after Toby Collyer's departure to West Brom on loan, and a fresh face is required.
Perhaps Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand could be an option. Hjulmand worked with Amorim during his time in Portugal and has been linked with a move away from Sporting.
Hjulmand is a defensive midfielder and would be a cheaper option until United revisit their interest in Baleba at the end of the season. It would surely be better to bring in a midfielder instead of no new signing.
The 26-year-old is a Denmark international and scored an equaliser against England at Euro 2024, finishing brilliantly from 30 yards to secure a point for his country in the group stage.
Hjulmand found the bottom left corner against England last summer.
It's thought Hjulmand could be available for around £50m. That is half of Brighton's valuation of Baleba, but it's still a significant fee and Amorim would have to be convinced Hjulmand would improve the team.
And interestingly, Amorim discussed the differences between Hjulmand and Ugarte when he managed the pair. "They are completely different characteristics", he said in September 2023.
"Morten doesn’t have Ugarte’s ability to find players from all sides of the pitch with incredible speed. Morten has, and Ugarte didn’t have, the ability to read the game, anticipate moves and be well-positioned.
"We have to adapt the team to the players we have and Morten will also adapt to our way of playing, to our high pressing."
That suggests Hjulmand could provide something that Ugarte doesn't have the skillset for.