Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba has opened up about Manchester United transfer speculation and his form dip as the Red Devils continue to be linked with the star
09:25, 18 Dec 2025
Manchester United target Carlos Baleba
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Carlos Baleba was linked to Manchester United over the summer
Manchester United's target, Carlos Baleba, has spoken out following a slump in performance since rumours of a move to Old Trafford began circulating.
The Brighton midfielder was tipped as a £100million addition to Ruben Amorim's squad before a last-minute transfer bid fell through in the summer. Baleba has been selected for Cameroon's squad for this year's Africa Cup of Nations, where he'll join forces with United star Bryan Mbeumo.
The 21-year-old has addressed the situation ahead of potential renewed interest from United in his services next year. Daily Star Sportdelves deeper into the latest headlines from Old Trafford as Amorim and his team prepare to take on Aston Villa on Sunday.
Carlos Baleba speaks out on rumours
Carlos Baleba of Brighton & Hove Albion looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at St Mary's Stadium
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Carlos Baleba has opened up on his proposed move to Man Utd(Image: Getty Images)
United supporters believed they had a game-changing transfer on their hands when it was revealed late in the summer that the club was considering Baleba, reports the Mirror.
However, the Red Devils were priced out of a deal after Brighton disclosed his £100m price tag. Some have suggested that the distraction of United's interest may have contributed to his decreased productivity this season.
Baleba, 21, has managed a complete 90 minutes just once in the Premier League this campaign after appearing virtually undroppable under Fabian Hurzeler last season.
The young midfielder dismissed suggestions that United's interest has impacted his form this term, though he admitted circumstances have changed from before.
"I don't think it affected me. But I had a lot of pressure on me," he revealed during an interview ahead of his AFCON involvement. "When I started the season, I wanted to [have] the same performances as last season.
"Every day I try to work hard and to get [back] to my level. Did I put too much pressure on myself? Yes, I think so, but I think that's good."
Jorge Mendes orchestrated Ronaldo's United comeback
Cristiano Ronaldo during the UEFA Europa League group E match between Manchester United and Omonia Nikosia.
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Cristiano Ronaldo had two spells with Manchester United(Image: James Gill/Getty Images)
Despite building a legendary status at Old Trafford during his initial spell, Ronaldo's 2021 return divided opinion. Some devoted supporters were thrilled about the long-anticipated reunion, despite him being 36 and well beyond his peak, whilst others questioned the wisdom of the move.
As events unfolded, the sceptics proved right. Ronaldo netted 24 goals in his first campaign back at the Theatre of Dreams after departing Juventus, but ultimately moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022 following reports he had become a disruptive influence in the changing room.
The Daily Mail has now disclosed that Ronaldo's representative, Jorge Mendes, engineered the transfer by embellishing certain facts. Specifically, he convinced United that Ronaldo "had the pen in his hand" and was poised to join rivals Manchester City, which was sufficient to prompt the Red Devils into swift action.
A source familiar with the arrangement was quoted as saying: "It created a panic. The idea of him scoring for City against United was too much for them. They were frightened to death about how the fans would react when the reality was that signing him would go against everything that Ole was trying to do."
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It's arguably no mere chance that United cycled through four different managers during Ronaldo's second spell at the club. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the helm when the transfer was finalised, whilst Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick served as interim bosses before Erik ten Hag's arrival in 2022.
Despite his initially impressive goal-scoring form upon returning to England, Ronaldo's homecoming ultimately cost United approximately £1.2m per goal he netted. And it all stemmed from the scheming of a particular super-agent working behind the scenes.