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David Tully Jul 24th 2026
The entourage of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba have “been in contact” with Man Utd in the hope that the Red Devils will revive a move for the player, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils are in the market for another midfielder, despite the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but they have not made a move for Baleba, and Romano says his representatives are trying to rekindle their interest:
“My understanding is that those close to the player have been in contact again with Man United to suggest the possibility to return for Baleba, so it’s from [the] Baleba side that they are trying to understand if Man United can return for the boy or not after the Ederson deal off and after all the other developments.”
“From Baleba’s side, they want to understand if there is a chance to reopen conversations and negotiations with Man United. We know United are looking for a third midfielder. We know United want to make it something happen for another defensive midfielder.”
“So, this is the plan. This is the idea. But we need to understand now if there is going to be a possibility for Baleba or any other option because Man United are checking on the market which possibilities can become concrete in this summer transfer window.”
Baleba’s price tag is too high
With Man Utd seriously considering moves for the likes of Fulham’s Sander Berge, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams, who are all on the market for lower prices, it is clear why they have not revived a move for the Brighton star.
The Seagulls would likely demand in excess of £80m for the Baleba despite the fact that he struggled for large parts of last season. He isn’t a particularly appetising option.
Man Utd have not decided on their top midfield target
Based on Romano’s remarks, it appears as if United are still weighing up who they want to go after, and Baleba’s people have simply tried to ensure his name is still in the conversation, despite an approach looking pretty unlikely.
From the sound of things, though, a bid will be lodged for another midfielder between now and the end of the summer transfer window.
David Tully
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.