Man-Utd-Baleba-Carrick
Manchester United's midfield rebuild under Michael Carrick continues to take shape, and while an injury has complicated the club's move for long-term target Carlos Baleba, Fabrizio Romano's latest update reveals the Brighton star's desire to join Old Trafford has never been stronger.
Carrick has been busy reshaping the engine room of his Manchester United side this summer, with Casemiro's exit clearing space and creating a genuine need for fresh legs through the middle of the pitch. To make matters more urgent, Manuel Ugarte has also been sidelined by injury, leaving United light in a key area just as the new campaign approaches.
Manuel Ugarte injury
Manuel Ugarte injury
The response has been to bring in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, two additions who arrived at a fraction of the cost United would have paid for some of the bigger names previously linked.
Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes were all considered too expensive, and United instead opted for value over marquee fees. Even with Santos and Tielemans through the door, though, Carrick is understood to still want one more body added to his midfield options before the window shuts.
|||||
|£50m+ midfielders|Move|Fee|Premier League 2026/27|
Elliot Anderson Forest → Man City £116m City break the bank as Rodri nears exit
Sandro Tonali Newcastle → Spurs £100m Newcastle's second biggest sale of all time
Mateus Fernandes West Ham → Spurs £85m Briefly Spurs' record signing before the Tonali deal
Bruno Guimaraes Newcastle → Arsenal £75m Arsenal land a genuine star next to Declan Rice
Johan Manzambi Freiburg → Aston Villa £59.5m Starred for Switzerland at the World Cup
Baleba "pushing like crazy" to join Manchester United
Carlos Baleba for Brighton
Carlos Baleba for Brighton
That's where Carlos Baleba comes back into the picture. The Cameroon international has been on United's radar for well over a year, with the club first testing the water for his signature last summer before Brighton's refusal to negotiate - and their valuation of well over £100million - put a swift end to any momentum.
Despite ultimately looking elsewhere for their midfield reinforcements this summer, Baleba has never fully dropped off United's shortlist, and Romano's latest update suggests the interest from the player's side has only intensified.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano gave an update focused not on the fee or the paperwork, but on Baleba's own hunger to make the move happen, even as an ankle issue complicates the timing.
Baleba made 31 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season, his third campaign on the south coast since arriving from Lille in 2023, and has established himself as one of the most physically dominant midfielders in the division. Brighton's valuation of the 22-year-old has consistently been placed at over £100million, a figure United have so far been unwilling to meet in full.
Former Premier League striker Glenn Murray described Baleba as "so special," going as far as to suggest he's "better than Moises Caicedo" - a striking comparison given the fee Chelsea paid for the Ecuadorian. Pundit Don Hutchison was similarly effusive, calling Baleba "incredible" on air, both agreeing that a fee in excess of £100million would be required to prise Baleba away from the Amex Stadium.
United also chasing Jorge Salinas
Baleba isn't the only player United are working on this summer, with the club also poised to trigger the rising release clause in Racing Santander teenager Jorge Salinas' contract after missing out on Newcastle's Lewis Hall.
lewis-hall-newcastle
Football FanCast revealed that United are ready to match the Spaniard's £13.7m buyout figure, with Barcelona reluctant to activate the same clause themselves given Alejandro Balde's status as first-choice left-back at Camp Nou.
With United simultaneously working the market for a left-back and a central midfielder, it's clear Carrick still has plenty of business to complete before deadline day, and Baleba's path to Old Trafford has become a little more complicated for now.