Carlos Baleba is a "comprehensive player", always playing proactively, easily taking up space on the field. The 21-year-old midfielder not only brings strength and speed to the midfield, but also has quality in ball control, which Man United are lacking.
Brighton had expected big teams to visit Baleba in the summer of 2026. The Cameroonian youngster has been closely watched by many top Premier League teams since July. However, they have not made an offer as they believe that Baleba is not ready for this leap.
The interest from Man United shows that the "Red Devils" want to take action early before the appearance of the double or triangle race. However, Brighton's desire to keep the player, combined with the remaining 3 years of contract, is a huge obstacle. In addition, Man United's inability to sell names that are no longer in the plan has made this deal difficult.
Chelsea has accelerated negotiations to bring Alejandro Garnacho to Stamford Bridge, thereby helping Man United have more budget. However, the Old Trafford team's leadership still has to consider the figure of at least 115 million pounds from Brighton. The Seagulls demand the same fee as they received from Moises Caicedo in August 2023 when they sold the Ecuador midfielder to Chelsea.
Speaking after the pre-season friendly match with Leeds, Ruben Amorim frankly pointed out that M.U's weakness is lack of speed, especially in the midfield area.
Although the ball-holding formation can be flexible, with Amorim's steadfast application of the 3-4-2-1 system, the central midfield duo often feel great pressure in covering and protecting the central area when Man United loses the ball. Therefore, this position requires high versatility to meet strict physical requirements.
Kobbie Mainoo has yet to return to regular starts. Meanwhile, Ruben Collyer's future is unclear. Looking at the options in midfield, Man United all have imperfections such as Manuel Ugarte's defensive tendencies, Bruno Fernandes is excellent with the ball but not too effective when losing the ball. Casemiro's 33-year-old legs will find it difficult to maintain their encompassing intensity throughout the season. Man United really need someone who can gather all three of those factors and the right name is Carlos Baleba.
Baleba's rapid rise is enough for Man United to become the third club he has played for in less than three years. With just 21 appearances for Lille in Ligue 1, the Cameroonian has convinced Brighton that he is the ideal replacement for Moises Caicedo in midfield.
However, the time to adapt to the Premier League is not easy. In the 2023-2024 season, the 2004-born star made just 15 starts (39% of the maximum number of minutes) under Roberto De Zerbi, Fabian Hurzeler's predecessor.
In the 2024-2025 season, the importance of Baleba has skyrocketed. Only Jan Paul van Hecke and Bart Verbruggen have played more minutes than him in the Premier League. This is even more remarkable compared to the picture at Man United when Bruno Fernandes played the full 90 minutes in 28 Premier League matches, equal to the total number of matches Casemiro, Ugarte, Mainoo and Eriksen combined.
When analyzing Baleba's experience and comparing him with midfielders in the top 5 European leagues, it can be seen that he especially loves participating in challenges and supporting defense. Baleba is not only very proactive in defensive situations, he also often wins one-on-one disputes. The ability to approach from behind, unexpectedly taking the ball from the opponent's feet is also a skill that Baleba has honed very well in the past 18 months.
For Man United, Carlos is the ideal player to simultaneously solve the problem of physical strength, active defense and a constant presence in the midfield. If he is successfully recruited, Baleba could become an important piece for Ruebn Amorim to complete the energetic play he is building at Old Trafford.
