Manchester United are set to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a deal worth up to £70 million, according to Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones. The Carlos Baleba Man Utd transfer consists of a guaranteed £65 million fee with a further £5 million tied to performance add-ons.
Carlos Baleba Man Utd transfer: Red Devils close in on £65m Brighton midfielder
The 22-year-old Cameroonian passed his medical at the weekend and has put pen to paper on a five-year contract running until 2032. Baleba spent the weekend at United’s Carrington training complex ahead of a formal announcement from the club. United are also keeping an eye on Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, who was left out of Barca’s squad against Elche last week, with Hansi Flick saying the player needed to clear his head.
Carlos Baleba Man Utd transfer: Why this move makes complete sense
This one isn’t a luxury signing. It’s a structural necessity. United got thumped 2-0 by newly-promoted Hull City on opening day, with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans both starting in midfield and both looking short of Premier League pace. The Baleba deal is Michael Carrick’s response to that.
Across 31 Premier League appearances for Brighton in 2025/26, Baleba recorded 24 interceptions, 58 clearances, and an 87% passing accuracy. He won 58% of his aerial duels. Those aren’t flashy numbers. They are exactly the kind of unglamorous, hard-edged output United’s midfield has desperately lacked since Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term injury layoff.
Carrick runs a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot that needs one player doing the dirty work. Baleba is that player. He’s a destroyer-carrier. He wins the ball and moves it quickly, without fuss. His athleticism lets him initiate vertical transitions the moment he wins possession, which directly suits how Carrick wants United to play.
The natural partner for him is Kobbie Mainoo. With Baleba acting as the physical enforcer, vacuuming up loose balls and tracking opposition runners, Mainoo gets freed up to drop into pockets and link play from deep. Baleba’s recovery speed covers for Mainoo whenever he makes those forward runs into the final third.
Carlos Baleba’s Man Utd transfer also gives Carrick a second option. Pair Baleba with Tielemans for a more controlled, possession-based structure against elite opposition. That variation is something Manchester United simply haven’t had in years.
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At £70 million for a 22-year-old with those defensive metrics, this is a calculated investment in United’s midfield spine for the next five-plus years.
