Desperation is a funny and dangerous thing, and Brighton would be well aware of what the repercussions could be for them regarding Carlos Baleba after Man Utd’s start to the season.
The memories of Erik ten Hag’s start at Man Utd are still fresh, when consecutive losses to start the season prompted the board to splash £150m on Antony and Casemiro.
Now that Ruben Amorim has seen his midfield get overrun in two games on the trot, with Kobbie Mainoo’s future uncertain, Carlos Baleba is back in focus.
Baleba and United can fix each other, because the player isn’t doing very well at Brighton either, and his cheeky messages aren’t helping. Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has had his say now.
Carlos Baleba in Brighton training kit
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Brighton on potential new Man Utd bid for Carlos Baleba
United walked away from the Baleba deal earlier this window after Brighton refused to quote an asking price that was acceptable to United.
After spending north of £200m on three attacking additions, United weren’t in a position to spend close to £115m on Baleba, the amount Brighton needed at the very least. (Moises Caicedo as the benchmark).
However, that was then, and a new bid from United can’t be ruled out completely now, not just because of the disaster that has transpired on the pitch.
United are obviously missing an athletic central midfielder, but if they play their cards right, Brighton’s asking price might not be a worry either.
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If sales/loans with obligation are sanctioned for Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho, the total of those three would exceed £100m.
Add wage savings, and hopefully Jadon Sancho’s exit, and United would easily be in a position to offer Brighton Caicedo money while keeping their net spend as it is right now.
However, Fabian Hurzeler, when he was asked about the prospects of his club sanctioning Baleba’s sale this window, was bullish.
He said: “Yes [100% confident Carlos Baleba will be a Brighton player at the end of the window]. If there’s a number more than 100, I would say more than 100. I’m confident.”
"If there's a number more than 100, I would say that"
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler is very confident Carlos Baleba will remain at the club 🔵 pic.twitter.com/YEbfT8uMsL
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 28, 2025
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Man Utd fumbled their transfer priorities
Brighton can’t be faulted for issuing a hands-off warning for Baleba this late in the window, regardless of the amount offered.
He’s a key player for them and could be the difference between the team contending for Europe or fighting for a top-half finish.
This is United’s error for not prioritising their transfers, as an athletic midfielder should have clearly been higher on the agenda than another No. 10.
Not only has buying two No. 10s made Bruno Fernandes’ life difficult as a deeper midfielder, but it is also not allowing Kobbie Mainoo to play regularly, or for Benjamin Sesko to form an understanding, since Amorim is wedded to Mason Mount in the starting XI.
In effect, buying two No. 10s instead of one plus a defensive midfielder has sent the whole balance of the team haywire.
It has reached a point where United’s season already looks on the brink of implosion after three games. Amorim will have to find an alternative or manufacture an in-house solution to that problem.