Manchester United's Pursuit of Carlos Baleba: The £70m Question

Manchester United have been handed a clear green light from Carlos Baleba – and are still standing at the junction.

Pre-season is already gathering pace at Old Trafford. A 5-0 dismantling of Rosenborg on Friday night added a touch of swagger to Michael Carrick’s early preparations, with two friendlies now in the bank and the new campaign edging into view. Off the pitch, the work has been just as intense.

Youri Tielemans is in. Andrey Santos is in. The recruitment team are still hunting a further midfielder, a left-back and likely a forward, although that last piece of business may hinge on someone leaving. One position, though, towers above the rest in importance.

United need a new pivot. Casemiro has gone, and in the modern game a truly elite holding midfielder is the spine, the metronome and the safety net rolled into one. Get that signing wrong and the whole structure shudders. Get it right and the team suddenly breathes easier.

Right now, the Baleba option is still sitting there, waiting.

Baleba’s dream on hold

United’s interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is not new, not speculative and not vague. They went hard for him in the past. The move simply never got off the ground.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano explained on his YouTube channel that last summer the 22-year-old was “pushing like crazy” to join United. Personal terms were agreed. The player had his dream mapped out: Old Trafford, red shirt, the leap from Brighton’s project to one of the global giants.

Brighton slammed the door. They did not want to sell, and United, even with Baleba high on their list under then-target coach Ruben Amorim, could not force it open. The midfielder remained on the south coast, the deal filed away as one that got away.

The story did not end there. Romano says Baleba stayed on United’s radar as a “top target” while Amorim was still in the frame. When club and coach went their separate ways in January, the trail went cold. No fresh talks, no renewed push. Just silence.

Now the name has surfaced again. This time, the noise is coming from the player’s side.

According to Romano, people close to Baleba have re-established contact with United to see if the door can be reopened. With an Ederson deal collapsing and other midfield avenues shifting, Baleba’s camp want clarity: is there still a chance? Is the dream alive, or is it time to look elsewhere?

For the moment, United are taking their time. No bid. No formal move. Just a live possibility.

A £70m question

One thing is clear: Baleba will not be cheap.

Brighton have not put a public figure on his head this summer, but expectations around the deal are blunt – any fee will be north of £70 million. That is the going rate now for a young, athletic, Premier League-proven holding midfielder with upside and resale value.

United know this market as well as anyone. They also know they cannot afford another misfire at the base of midfield. The decision is not simply about budget; it is about identity. What kind of team does Carrick want to build? What kind of midfielder does he trust to anchor it?

Baleba brings a very specific profile. Power. Range. Aggression. The “monster” tag that has followed him is not accidental. He covers ground, snaps into duels and plays with a confidence that belies his age.

Belief in Baleba’s ceiling

Inside the game, the belief in Baleba’s ceiling is strong.

Former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam was struck by him last season, particularly in Brighton’s win at Old Trafford. Speaking last year, Adam said he was “a big fan” of Baleba, highlighting him alongside Yasin Ayari as part of Brighton’s next wave.

He described the Cameroonian as “a very good player” who brings something different to the Premier League at just 21 at the time, and wondered aloud if he might be one of the next off Brighton’s now-famous conveyor belt of talent.

Roberto De Zerbi, the coach who helped shape Brighton’s high-tempo, fearless style and now leads Tottenham, went even further. “I believe in Carlos,” he said. “He can become one of the best players in the Premier League in the future, for sure.”

Those are not throwaway endorsements. They are a window into how Baleba is viewed by people who have seen his work up close.

United’s next move

So United stand at a familiar crossroads. A player who once agreed personal terms still wants the move. His camp are knocking on the door again. The price will be heavy, but the potential reward is huge.

With Casemiro gone and the spine of Carrick’s side still under construction, the question is not whether Baleba is keen. He has already made that clear.

The question is whether United are brave enough – and convinced enough – to finally turn long-standing admiration into a defining midfield signing.