Manchester United Sign Carlos Baleba for £70m

Manchester United have landed their marquee midfielder. Carlos Baleba is in the door at Old Trafford at last.

United have completed the signing of the Brighton midfielder in a deal worth up to £70m, making the Cameroon international their third midfield recruit of the summer after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. It is a statement move and an expensive one, pushing the club’s outlay on central midfielders to around £148m in this window alone.

Baleba has signed a five-year contract with an option for a further 12 months after United agreed a £65m fee plus £5m in add-ons and a sell-on clause with Brighton. For a player they first tried to prise away a year ago, the deal underlines just how determined United were to get this over the line.

Last summer, Brighton made it clear Baleba was not leaving. United backed off. They watched, they waited. The 22-year-old did not hit his highest level last season, but that dip did not cool their interest. Instead, United came again, stepping up their pursuit a week ago and moving quickly to close the deal.

For Baleba, this is the move he has long imagined.

“It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams,” he said. “Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.

“I cannot wait to work with Michael Carrick. His experience and knowledge of the game make him the perfect coach to help me to reach the highest level.

“The ambition of everyone at the club is extremely clear, the future is hugely exciting, and I am determined to play my part in delivering the success that we are capable of together.”

United’s midfield has been ripped up and rebuilt in a single summer. Casemiro has gone. Manuel Ugarte, signed to anchor the centre of the pitch, has suffered a serious knee injury. Into that gap have come Santos from Chelsea, Tielemans from Aston Villa and now Baleba from Brighton, reshaping the core of Michael Carrick’s team in a matter of weeks.

Inside the club, there is no doubt about the scale of Baleba’s talent.

United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, said: “Carlos is an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further. He brings a unique combination of qualities that will really complement our squad.

“We are delighted to further strengthen our midfield with the addition of another established senior international with a proven track record of performing in the Premier League.”

United wanted a midfielder who could grow with this new project, someone with the engine and presence to change games but also the technique to live comfortably at Old Trafford. In Baleba, they believe they have found that profile.

Now comes the hard part: proving it, under the lights, in a midfield that has been rebuilt at great expense and with even greater expectation.