Carlos Baleba's Potential Move to Manchester United: The Midfield Anchor They Need
Manchester United have their pre-season rhythm, their new signings, their five-goal win in Trondheim. What they do not yet have is the player who wants them most.
Behind the scenes, the Carlos Baleba option refuses to die.
A midfield rebuilt, but not yet complete
Michael Carrick’s summer has moved quickly. Youri Tielemans is in. Andrey Santos is in. The shape of a new midfield is emerging, one built to move the ball quicker and press higher after the departure of Casemiro ripped out United’s experienced anchor.
The plan is clear: another central midfielder, a left-back, and likely a forward if outgoings allow. The pivot role, though, is the one that will define this window. United know it. Their recruitment staff know it. The modern game is brutal on teams without a world-class holding midfielder.
That is where Baleba keeps re-entering the conversation.
Baleba’s United dream that never left
United chased the Brighton midfielder hard last year. The talks were real, the intent was serious, and the player’s stance was unmistakable.
Fabrizio Romano explained on his YouTube channel that in August 2023 Baleba “was pushing like crazy to go to Man United” and had agreed personal terms with the club. The move suited him, the project appealed to him, and Old Trafford was the dream.
Brighton shut the door.
They refused to sell, United moved on, and Baleba stayed on the south coast. At that point he was considered a top target under the Amorim-focused structure United were exploring. When the Amorim route collapsed in January and the club stepped away from that plan, the Baleba pursuit went cold with it.
Now his name is back in the frame, and this time it is coming from the player’s side.
According to Romano, those close to Baleba have re-established contact with United to “suggest the possibility to return” for him. With the Ederson deal off and other midfield options shifting, Baleba’s camp want clarity: is there still a way to reopen talks?
The answer, for now, sits on United’s desk.
The price of potential
Brighton have not nailed down a public asking price, but the expectation is clear: any deal will land north of £70 million. That is elite money for a 22-year-old who is still early in his Premier League journey.
United have been here before. Pay big for upside, or search for value elsewhere. The stakes are higher this time because Baleba is not a luxury signing; he would be asked to sit at the base of a midfield and dictate the tempo of a new era.
What he has shown so far suggests he is not daunted by that kind of responsibility.
Charlie Adam, speaking last year, called himself “a big fan” of Baleba, grouping him with Yasin Ayari as the next potential stars off Brighton’s conveyor belt. Adam highlighted Baleba’s display in Brighton’s win at Old Trafford as a marker of his quality and difference in the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi, the coach who worked with him at Brighton and is now at Tottenham, has gone further, saying: “I believe in Carlos. He can become one of the best players in the Premier League in the future, for sure.”
Those are strong words from a manager who has helped shape and sell some of the most coveted midfielders in Europe.
United’s choice
This is what makes the Baleba situation so intriguing. United do not have to convince the player. They do not have to build a case for their project. The green light from his side is already there, just as it was a year ago.
The hesitation sits on the club’s side of the table: the fee, the profile, the timing, the balance of the squad, and the ripple effect on other targets.
United’s midfield rebuild is already underway, but the identity of their long-term anchor remains unresolved. Baleba wants to be that player. Brighton will demand to be paid as if he already is.
The question now is simple: will United finally act on a midfielder who has been waiting for them, or will they watch him become “one of the best” somewhere else?
