Manchester United continue to assess their options on the market, as Carlos Baleba rejoins Manu Kone and others on the shortlist.
The Premier League giants have already brought in Andrey Santos on a £48 million transfer from Chelsea and activated Youri Tielemans’ £35 million release clause to lure him from Aston Villa.
All sources agree that a third acquisition is still required to shore up a department that also includes Kobbie Mainoo, but his identity remains shrouded in mystery.
Man Utd revisit Carlos Belaba option
In recent weeks, Kone emerged as the most popular candidate for the role, especially amidst his impressive performances at the World Cup, which saw him climb his way up Didier Deschamps’ pecking order and become a regular starter for France.
Reports in Italy (including Il Corriere dello Sport) claim that Man Utd have an agreement in principle with the 25-year-old on personal terms, but have yet to strike a deal with Roma, who are gunning for a transfer fee above €60 million (or £51 million), while INEOS are only offering €50 million (roughly £42 million).
On Thursday, Sky Sports confirmed Man Utd’s keen interest in Kone, but also revealed that the Baleba option is back in fashion.
The 22-year-old was at the top of United’s shortlist last summer, but the club was repelled by Brighton’s asking price, which exceeded £100 million.
Sky claims that MUFC have ‘made movements’ on this front, but they have yet to engage in club-to-club talks, suggesting that contact has only been made with the player’s side, or with intermediaries.
Baleba, Kone or Alex Scott: Who should Man Utd go for?
Despite coming off a relatively underwhelming campaign, Baleba remains an interesting profile. After all, some consider him among ‘the best midfielders in the Premier League’.
The Cameroonian is an old-school midfield enforcer who thrives in the defensive phase and excels in breaking up the play.
Nevertheless, one could argue he could be a bit too similar to Santos, who is another 22-year-old holding midfielder.
Therefore, Man Utd should ideally recruit a box-to-box midfielder capable of carrying the ball forward, hence why Kone and Alex Scott should be considered the top priorities.
Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes
85.9 87.3 46.1 11.3 9.5 15.0 9.0 1793
57.6 60.7 72.9 86.6 95.6 55.5 61.6 2659
66.9 78.2 71.0 34.5 18.8 35.2 29.2 3143
(Stats via DataMB)
The Bournemouth star is an England international with Premier League experience under the belt, so he would swiftly adjust to his new surroundings at Carrington should he move to United.
On the other hand, Kone boasts higher experience at the big stage, and at the age of 25, he’s about to enter his prime years.
Even with Roma raising their asking price, the Frenchman should be a more affordable target than Scott, with Bournemouth refusing to entertain offers below £80 million.
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been passionately following Man United for over 20 years. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Utd Report, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali has been a Featured Writer on other websites including Juve FC, and The Cult of Calcio, and Stretty News.
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