Manchester United Sign Carlos Baleba as Betis Prepare for Troy Parrott's Debut

Manchester United have pushed their midfield rebuild up another notch, completing the signing of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba in a deal worth up to £70m (€81m).

The Cameroon international becomes the third midfielder through the door at Old Trafford this summer, following Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. United have been intent on reshaping the centre of the pitch, and Baleba’s arrival underlines that plan: energy, bite, and a hefty investment for a player they clearly see as central to their next phase.

Celtic cruising, Scales watching on

On the continent, Celtic are back in Champions League qualifying action tonight against LASK. The Scottish champions have a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg and are within touching distance of the next round.

Liam Scales starts on the bench, watching a tie that already feels heavily tilted in Celtic’s favour.

Parrott waits as Betis lean into the hype

All eyes, though, are drifting towards Spain and the Mestalla. Real Betis travel to Valencia in La Liga, and Irish striker Troy Parrott is on the brink of a new chapter.

Parrott, fresh from his move from AZ Alkmaar to Betis last week, could make his debut tonight. Kick-off is at 8pm local time, and while the expectation is that he may have to settle for a place on the bench, a starting berth would be a statement from Manuel Pellegrini.

Betis know exactly what they’re selling. The club’s social media team has already turned up the noise, posting twice about Parrott in quick succession: one shot of his pristine number 19 jersey, another of a young fan holding a flag emblazoned with “what’s the craic Troy?” The message is clear – the fanbase is ready for him.

Parrott arrives in Spain with his reputation on the rise and the hype finally feeling earned rather than imposed. As Gavin Cooney has charted, leaving English football has changed the trajectory of his career.

“Forsaking English football has been the making of Parrott,” Cooney wrote, recalling how the move to the Netherlands allowed the Dubliner to breathe. The Eredivisie’s style and tempo suited him, and the distance from the English bubble stripped away some of the noise that once suffocated his early years.

“Trying to live up to the hype at such a young age, it was never going to happen that early because football isn’t so easy,” Parrott said in 2024. “For me it was more about growing up a bit and trying to block out the noise.”

Now he steps into a Betis side with serious ambitions. They are in the Champions League this season and opened their La Liga campaign with a win over Real Sociedad, secured by a Rodrigo Riquelme goal.

Pellegrini’s verdict: “Ready to play”

Pellegrini has been cautious but positive about his new striker.

“Troy has not been working with us for a long time,” the Betis manager said. “He joined us only a day before the last game. But he has been working hard and he is on the list because he is ready to play.”

Ready, but not guaranteed.

Betis have a settled attacking structure. Tonight’s XI reads: Valles; Ortiz, Gomez, Llorente, Firpo; Fornals, Bernal, Deossa; Antony, Hernandez, Riquelme.

Antony is close to untouchable on one flank, Riquelme has already delivered in the other wide role, and through the middle stands the man Parrott must shift: Cucho Hernández. The Colombian hit 11 La Liga goals last season and has kept his place up front.

That’s the reality of Parrott’s new life. This is not a charity project or a developmental loan. To play, he has to uproot a proven goalscorer in a Champions League side.

Then again, it certainly beats another slog in the Championship with West Ham.

From Budapest hat-trick hero to the bright lights of the Mestalla, Parrott has already shown he can handle a big stage. The question now is simple: how long will Pellegrini wait before turning to number 19?