Brighton Should Pursue Mason Mount if United Want Baleba

Warren Aspinall believes Brighton should think big if Manchester United come calling for Carlos Baleba again – and test the water for Mason Mount.

Baleba spent last summer at the centre of heavy links to Old Trafford, only for the move to fizzle out. What followed was a flat campaign under Fabian Hurzeler, a season where the powerful midfielder never quite rediscovered the drive and clarity that first put him on United’s radar.

Mount, on the other hand, has spent much of his time at United fighting his own battles. Injuries, interruptions, and the weight of expectation since his 2023 switch from Chelsea have left him on the fringes rather than at the heart of Erik ten Hag’s plans.

Aspinall, the former Brighton midfielder and now a forthright voice around the club, sees an opportunity in that overlap.

“I was thinking – if Baleba did go to Manchester United then I'd see if I could get Mason Mount as part of the deal,” he told the Albion Unlimited podcast.

It is not a throwaway line. United have just reshaped their midfield again, bringing in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Add Kobbie Mainoo – already a central pillar – and the path back into the starting XI for Mount looks increasingly congested.

“He's not going to be in the side because they've just signed two midfield players in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos,” Aspinall said. “Those two and Kobbie Mainoo will be starters, so where does that leave Mount? They have good players coming through in the likes of Tyler Fletcher.”

From Brighton’s perspective, the equation is simple. United are the only club with firm, long-term interest in Baleba. If they come again, Brighton hold a card. Either they cash it in and try to prise Mount away as part of a package, or they double down on Baleba and rebuild him as the midfield force he briefly threatened to become.

There is also a growing sense that, after United’s quick-fire midfield business, Baleba might not move at all. If that happens, Aspinall says the onus falls squarely on Hurzeler.

“For Baleba, the manager has to sit him down in a one-to-one situation and say, ‘look, just get your head down, do what you did not last season but the season before, and they will all come for you then’,” he said.

This is not blind faith. Aspinall has seen enough to know what Baleba can be when his mind is clear and his game is sharp.

“They would all be after him because he's excellent. He's strong, powerful, breaks the lines very well. It was easy for him in certain games.”

The problem, as so often with young players who attract heavyweight attention early, is psychological. A sniff from a club like Manchester United can tilt a season.

“Sometimes you get a sniff from a club like Manchester United and you start to think about that big move and big payday but it has not happened,” Aspinall explained. “You have to get your head down, go again, and see where it takes him.”

That is the fork in the road. If United revive their interest, Brighton must decide whether to turn it into a transformative trade, or treat it as a warning that they are close to losing a player they still believe in. If they keep him, Aspinall is clear about what comes next.

“If he does stay he needs to knuckle down and he can have a great season at Brighton. If he plays well, Brighton play well because he wins that midfield battle. If he is at the top of his game he makes his team-mates believe.”

For Brighton, that belief – whether invested in a reborn Baleba or a rejuvenated Mount – could define the next step of their evolution.