English Premier League giants Manchester United are advancing rapidly toward an agreement to acquire Brighton & Hove Albion defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba, ending a year-long pursuit of the Cameroon international that stalled 12 months ago over valuation disagreements.
Last summer, United tabled a late offer for Baleba close to the transfer deadline, but walked away from negotiations after Brighton set an asking price exceeding £100 million. This window, however, the asking price has dropped dramatically, and United—having already failed to secure a deal for alternative target Matheus Fernandes—have opted to reopen talks for the 24-year-old. United’s opening bid of £60 million still falls short of Brighton’s current valuation, but constructive discussions between the two clubs are ongoing as the transfer deadline approaches.
The Old Trafford side has already invested heavily in midfield reinforcements this summer, bringing in Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million in July. While Mason Mount has turned in impressive performances alongside Santos during the first three pre-season fixtures, the attacking midfielder has been sidelined by a foot injury sustained during a friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August, creating additional depth concerns in United’s midfield ranks. Baleba himself is also currently injured, with an ankle issue picked up during pre-season training in Austria expected to keep him out of action for another two to three weeks.
A product of Brighton’s recent success, Baleba made 35 senior appearances for the Seagulls last season, but tactical analysts and club data point to a clear dip in form that explains the reduced transfer price. During the 2024-25 campaign, Baleba notched 31 Premier League starts and three substitute appearances, but that dropped to 23 starts and eight substitute outings in 2025-26, even as Brighton qualified for European competition for just the second time in club history. While some pundits speculated that United’s initial interest unsettled the player and contributed to his dip in form, Brighton sources rejected that claim last season.
From a tactical perspective, Baleba’s arrival would fill a clear gap in Michael Carrick’s current squad, football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan explains. United’s two new midfield signings, Santos and Tielemans, both fit the technical profile that Carrick has prioritized this window: they are comfortable on the ball in tight spaces, excel at rotating positions and connecting play under pressure, a stylistic choice inspired by PSG’s celebrated midfield trio that Carrick has openly praised. However, that profile leaves United with a gap in physicality and transitional play that Baleba is built to fill.
Baleba’s greatest strengths align perfectly with the gaps in Carrick’s current setup. His ability to carry the ball over long distances creates additional attacking threat when United’s technical midfielders draw opponents out of position, while his elite athleticism provides defensive cover against counter-attacks that the more diminutive, possession-focused current midfield options cannot offer. His elite reading of the game and ability to execute high pressing also fits Carrick’s preferred system, allowing United to win the ball back high up the pitch close to the opposition goal—an attribute that has directly led to goals for his previous sides. He would also replace the defensive intensity and ball-winning physicality that United lost when Casemiro departed the club earlier in the window.
Brighton, meanwhile, are already preparing for their first European fixture of the new season: Fabian Hurzeler’s squad travels to Norway on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off against Tromso, with Baleba expected to miss out due to his injury. For United, the club’s hierarchy is pushing to get the deal done before the deadline closes, and Carrick will be hoping the version of Baleba that shows up at Old Trafford is the consistent, high-impact player that featured regularly in the 2024-25 campaign.