Manchester United Target Carlos Baleba for Midfield Rebuild

Manchester United are pushing hard to land Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with talks between the clubs described as amicable and active as they edge towards a full agreement for the 22-year-old.

United have tabled an opening bid worth around £60 million (€70m) plus a further £5m in potential add-ons, according to The Athletic. Brighton believe that falls short of their valuation, but there is no sense of a breakdown. Negotiations are moving, not stalling.

This is not a luxury chase. It is a priority.

United have made central midfield the heart of their summer work. Youri Tielemans has already arrived from Aston Villa, Andrey Santos has come in from Chelsea, and a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson was agreed before the club walked away over concerns about a knee problem flagged in medical checks.

They turned to Elliot Anderson too, only to watch the England international choose Manchester City instead. That miss, combined with mounting fitness issues, has only sharpened the urgency.

Manuel Ugarte picked up an injury during the World Cup with Uruguay. Mason Mount then sat out United’s final two pre-season fixtures. The result: a midfield department suddenly stretched just as the season approaches, and a club accelerating their hunt for a powerful, ready-made option.

Baleba fits that brief.

He joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2023 and has grown into a central figure on the south coast. The Cameroonian has already racked up 112 appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls, a remarkable workload for a player of his age and a sign of the trust he commands.

Last season alone he featured 35 times for Brighton, his rhythm interrupted only briefly by his involvement with Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations. When available, he played. Regularly.

United see that resilience and profile as ideal for Michael Carrick’s evolving side. If the deal goes through, Baleba will walk into a fiercely competitive midfield group, battling Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes for minutes and status.

The stakes are clear. Pre-season is winding down, competitive fixtures are around the corner and United want Baleba in early enough to adapt to Carrick’s demands rather than chase the pace of the season from behind.

Talks with Brighton remain positive, with both clubs working to close the gap in valuation rather than dig in. There is confidence on all sides that a compromise will be found.

If that happens, the next time Baleba runs out at Old Trafford, it may not be in Brighton blue. It may be as the latest pillar in United’s rebuilt midfield – and a key piece in defining what this season becomes.