Manchester United have seen an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks under Ruben Amorim, and it seems as though there may finally be a rainbow on the horizon for the manager and his precious system.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last five games, having beaten Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton, before 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, and GMS understands that the club are eyeing up potential midfield reinforcements in 2026.
During the most recent summer transfer window, it was evident that INEOS had made Brighton star Carlos Baleba their top target for that role. The club held talks with him and his representatives about a move to Old Trafford, even agreeing personal terms, but baulked at the Seagulls' £100m+ valuation and decided to wait until the new year before making their move more concrete.
That now seems to have been the right decision by all involved, as the Cameroon international has turned in a disaster of a season so far, which culminated in him being substituted at half-time for the fourth time during the 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
Man Utd Dodged a Bullet, Must U-Turn on Baleba Decision
baleba brighton
Baleba's performances during the 2024/25 campaign saw him considered to be among the top central midfielders in the league, with many believing that he would go on to become an elite star in the game. However, performances since the move to Man Utd have failed to justify why he was so highly rated, and instead, he has raised eyebrows as to why some rated him that way.
Against Brentford, the 21-year-old was poor and journalist Andy Naylor claimed that his 'miserable season' was continuing, before he was taken out of the firing line by Fabian Hurzeler at the break. At the same time that Baleba was struggling, two other Man Utd targets for the midfield position were shining.
Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton turned in a top performance as the Eagles claimed a 2-0 win on the road to bottom club Wolves. The England international claimed an assist, while he also completed 87% of his 55 pass attempts, won 100% of his tackles, made three interceptions (more than anyone else on the pitch), and shone in an impressive victory.
On the other hand, Elliot Anderson was putting together yet another stellar showing on the big stage, as Nottingham Forest defeated champions Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield.
The man who is now first-choice for Thomas Tuchel for England won four of his six tackle attempts, completed 89% of his passes and made three key passes, more than any other Forest player in the game.
All three players will be expensive, but they will also all be game-changing signings for Manchester United and Amorim. Just because the club decided to go for Baleba in the summer doesn't mean they must continue with that plan in 2026, and the events of Saturday clearly show they should make a U-turn.
Wharton and Anderson are better options for what the team needs, and Baleba is proving that the step-up in scrutiny, eyeballs, and importance could be too big for him at this moment in time.
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