All major transfer deals are potentially risky. With Manchester United, if they sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton, the biggest risk is probably that they still do not know exactly which type of player this midfielder will develop into.
Baleba once made a strong impression when he first came to Brighton, but last season saw his form decline. The Cameroonian player can play as a defensive midfielder, connecting the playing style, but also has enough energy to take on the role of box-to-box. He has the ability to recover the ball, break down the opponent's attacks but also possesses the technique to bring the ball forward.
Baleba grew up in Cameroon under the strict training of his father, who was also a football player. Lille recruited him on his 18th birthday. The performances in France later attracted the attention of Jamestown Analytics, the scouting data provider for Brighton, before Baleba moved to the Premier League for a fee of £23 million.
Right in his debut match for Brighton, Baleba left his mark. In the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Amex Stadium, he was considered the most outstanding player on the field. Strength and tackling ability helped Baleba break many attacks of the opponent, while technique and confidence allowed him to escape pressing and put the ball over Liverpool's midfield.
Notably, at that time Baleba had just experienced the shock of losing his mother just a few months before leaving France. Coach Roberto De Zerbi at that time assessed him as a special talent and believed that this young player could become one of the best midfielders in Europe.
Baleba continued to go through the process of adapting to the Premier League. After the 1-2 defeat to Manchester City, he admitted to having difficulty keeping up with the pace of the match. However, the following months witnessed clear progress and Baleba gradually became an important link of Brighton.
The second season has witnessed Baleba show more clearly his qualities. Baleba is in the group of Premier League midfielders who have good ball recovery and interception ability, and can operate on a wide range to break through attacks as well as prevent counter-attacks.
However, Baleba is not only good at defending. Ball handling skills formed from the time he played as a winger helped him escape pressure, overcome opponents and put the ball forward. The 1m78 tall player also has remarkable aerial ability, good dribbling and often makes breakthroughs from midfield.
Man United were willing to pay up to 70 million pounds for Baleba last summer, but Brighton requested more than 100 million pounds, equivalent to Moises Caicedo's valuation before Chelsea spent 115 million pounds for the Ecuadorian midfielder. The two sides could not find common ground and the deal was unsuccessful.
Transfer rumors seemed to affect Baleba last season. Besides, persistent injuries and having to participate in the African Cup caused his schedule to be interrupted. Baleba only played 90 minutes in 3 Premier League matches. In the match against Aston Villa in February, coach Fabian Hurzeler even withdrew him from the field after only 22 minutes to avoid the risk of receiving a second yellow card.
Therefore, the question is what version of Baleba will Man United have? The answer still needs time. At the age of 22, the Cameroonian midfielder still has a lot of room to develop and once admitted that his defensive ability when he was at Lille was not good. Working under the guidance of Michael Carrick can help him continue to improve these aspects.
When reaching his peak form, Baleba has the ability to cover the entire field, strong but still agile and sensitive enough in handling to reduce pressure on the defense. The ability to choose positions is sometimes still a question mark, but the impressive number of interceptions shows that he often appears at the right time to intervene.
The noteworthy point is that Baleba can combine well with Youri Tielemans, who just joined Man United from Aston Villa. These two players possess complementary qualities. Tielemans has the ability to pass the ball and read the game, while Baleba brings strength, speed and the ability to pull the ball forward.
Tielemans can take on the task of receiving the ball from the defense, while Baleba performs better when facing forward. Kobbie Mainoo and Andrey Santos can also support the ball deployment process from the defense.
Man United keeping Carrick, prioritizing players who are familiar with the Premier League and building a squad with age balance shows a more cautious strategy.
