Brighton star Carlos Baleba is said to be very open to joining Manchester United, although in the end the midfielder failed to complete the move to Old Trafford.
The "Red Devils" have failed to sign a central midfielder in the 2025 summer transfer window, despite the name Baleba always appearing in rumors throughout the past.
Brighton quickly confirmed that Baleba was not on the transfer list, and offered a whopping £115 million price to the Cameroonian player. This is the number they received from Chelsea when they sold Moises Caicedo.
Man United also quickly informed their Premier League opponents that they would not pursue this deal. However, interest in Beleba has not completely disappeared, even as the transfer window has closed.
Coach Ruben Amorim's team decided to wait for an opportunity to consolidate the midfield, with Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher being mentioned as a potential target. Man United's ambition is clearly to secure a deal with Baleba in the future.
British media reported that the individual terms between Baleba and Man United have been agreed, with the possibility that this deal could still take place in the future.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also said that this midfielder is still a target of interest for Man United until 2026. The Red Devils were also delighted to know the Brighton star was keen to join in the summer, despite not playing in European competition.
The 21-year-old attracted attention when he was absent from the Cameroon squad in the victory over Eswatini. This was a match in which both Bryan Mbeumo and Andre Onana played. Mbeumo, Man United's £71 million signing this summer, provided an assist in the national team's 3-0 win.
Since leaving Lille to join the Premier League in 2023, Baleba has quickly established himself as one of the most potential young midfielders in the league. He has played 64 times for Brighton, scoring 3 goals and playing 7 times for Cameroon.
It is still unclear how Man United will plan for the midfield when the January transfer window opens. The possibility of Baleba moving in mid-season seems unlikely. And only time will tell whether M.U has any alternative goals appearing in the rumors from now until the new year.
Man United's summer 2025, despite seeing 5 notable new players join, still left a big shortcoming. The Old Trafford side have made no additions to the midfield. The lack of a dynamic midfielder is clearly a minus point in a transfer window that Man United could have done better.
Casemiro has gradually moved to the other side of his career, Fernandes is aging, and their squad still lacks the necessary creativity in midfield. The "Red Devils" will have to find a way to fix it in the near future if they want to truly compete in big arenas.
At Old Trafford, the Baleba deal is not only professionally meaningful. M.U's leadership considers this a contract that could become a symbol of the change that fans have been waiting for for a long time.
After many years of unstable investment and unsatisfactory results, Man United need a young leader to lead the new era. Baleba has all those factors, from his youth, Premier League experience to great potential for development.
