Manchester United have cooled their interest in signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba due to the high transfer valuation, according to The Sun.
The Red Devils were keen on the Cameroon international last summer, but a deal did not materialise. Brighton wanted at least £100 million, which United were unwilling to pay.
United have been in regular contact with Brighton’s hierarchy over the past year, but they appear to have cooled their pursuit of Baleba. The clubs are still far apart on the transfer fee.
Man Utd have made the right decision on Baleba
The 22-year-old had a productive 2024/25 season with the Seagulls, which contributed to United’s interest last summer. However, they did not have the budget to afford him.
Baleba has since endured a tough campaign with the South Coast outfit. The former Lille midfielder has had a drastic dip in Premier League form, which is a genuine cause for concern.
The ‘talented‘ midfielder completed 34 passes per game with an accuracy of 88 percent in 2024/25. He won an impressive six duels and two tackles per appearance alongside six recoveries.
In comparison, Baleba managed just 21 successful passes per game in 2025/26 with a completion rate of 86 percent. He won just six duels and one tackle on average with three recoveries.
His defensive involvements dropped by 50 percent in the recently concluded league season, and there were multiple games where he started on the bench under manager Fabian Hurzeler.
It was reported earlier this month that United could seek to sign Baleba for around £50m. Given Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s tough negotiating stance, that seems unlikely to be on the cards.
Brighton will be playing in the Conference League next season and may prefer to keep Baleba unless their asking price is met. United have made the right choice to move on after Baleba’s sub-par season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com