Manchester United Hesitate on Baleba Transfer Despite Clear Interest

Manchester United’s summer is moving quickly on the pitch. Off it, the club are dragging their feet over a midfielder who has already given them the clearest signal he can: come and get me.

A 5-0 dismantling of Rosenborg on Friday added another upbeat note to pre-season, Michael Carrick’s side sharpening up with two friendlies already in the bank. The rebuild has started with purpose. Youri Tielemans is in. Andrey Santos is in. The spine is being rebuilt, piece by piece.

Yet the most delicate part of that operation – replacing Casemiro at the base of midfield – remains unresolved.

Carrick wants another central midfielder, a left-back and, if the numbers allow, a forward. Everyone at Old Trafford knows which of those roles matters most. Modern elite sides live or die by their pivot. United have lost theirs.

And one of the most intriguing solutions is still sitting there, waiting.

Baleba’s dream move still alive

Carlos Baleba has not hidden what he wants. The Brighton midfielder, described as a “monster” in that holding role, still dreams of walking out at Old Trafford in United red.

The interest is not new. United pushed hard in the background last year. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that Baleba had personal terms agreed with United in August 2023 and was “pushing like crazy” to make the move happen.

He wanted United. Badly.

Brighton refused to play along. The south-coast club simply would not sell, and the deal died before it ever reached the final stages. At that point, Baleba was considered a top target under the Amorim-led project at United. When the club and Amorim parted ways in January, the track “went cold”, as Romano put it.

Now the name is back in circulation. Not because United have launched a new offensive, but because Baleba’s camp have gone back to them. Those close to the player have contacted United again to see if the door can be reopened, especially after other midfield avenues – including a move for Ederson – have collapsed.

The message from Baleba’s side is simple: if United want to return to the table, he is ready.

Brighton’s price is another matter. There is no firm figure in public this summer, but any conversation starts north of £70 million. For a 22-year-old with one full Premier League season behind him, that is heavyweight money, even in this market.

A midfielder built for the modern game

The fee reflects the belief in what Baleba can become.

He has already shown he can handle the Premier League’s intensity. Strong, aggressive, able to break up play and drive his team forward, he looks built for the role United are trying to refill.

Former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam did not hide his admiration when speaking last year about Brighton’s emerging talents.

“I’m a big fan of Carlos Baleba at Brighton,” Adam said, picking out Baleba and Yasin Ayari as standouts. He highlighted Baleba’s display in Brighton’s win at Old Trafford, calling the Cameroonian “a very good player” and “something that’s different from what’s been in the Premier League.”

Inside Brighton, the belief runs just as deep. Then-manager Roberto De Zerbi was unequivocal: “I believe in Carlos. He can become one of the best players in the Premier League in the future, for sure.”

That is the profile United are missing. A long-term anchor who can grow into the role, not just plug it for a season.

United’s decision point

So United stand at a familiar crossroads.

On one side, a young, highly rated midfielder desperate to join, his entourage already nudging Old Trafford for an answer. On the other, a club still weighing its options, conscious of a price tag that would demand Baleba become the cornerstone of their midfield for years.

The squad work continues. Pre-season minutes are being shared around. Tielemans and Santos are bedding in. A left-back and a forward remain on the agenda.

But the shape of United’s season may hinge on what they do in front of their back four.

Baleba has made his position clear. The question now is whether United see him as the player to build that new midfield around – or whether they are about to let someone else seize the chance he has been waiting on for a year.