Man Utd receive big transfer boost – £100m star wants Old Trafford move

Carlos Baleba to Manchester United transfer latest

Carlos Baleba to Manchester United: Manchester United have hit the brakes on their midfield recruitment drive, but the pause is temporary. Having already wrapped up swift deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to plug the gap left by Casemiro, the club’s recruitment team is still hunting for one final, dominant presence. They want steel. They want someone to anchor the engine room before a brutal campaign kicks off. Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is the top target. Handily for United, the player only has eyes for Old Trafford.

Old Trafford is the only destination

Securing personal terms won’t be an issue here. According to senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs, speaking on the United Stand, United hold a massive advantage if they choose to trigger a move. The Cameroon international made up his mind last summer. He wants United. That stance hasn’t changed an inch, meaning salary negotiations will be incredibly straightforward. There will be no multi-club bidding war or agent-driven drama. The only reason the deal is currently sitting in limbo is that the decision-makers at Old Trafford want to be certain about the exact profile of their third midfield signing. They are taking their time.

Sorting the metrics from the hype

Baleba offers serious physical presence, but his last campaign at the Amex wasn’t exactly seamless. Inconsistency crept in, alongside a few minor injury issues. A look at the 2025/26 Premier League numbers shows the 22-year-old clocked 1,662 minutes across 31 appearances. He didn’t score. He didn’t pick up a single assist either, though he did pick up five yellow cards. On the ball, he kept things ticking over nicely with an 86% pass completion rate.

Brighton wanted £75m last summer. Now, word is they value him closer to £100m, largely because his contract runs all the way until June 2028. United have zero intention of paying that. They believe his mixed form gives them enough leverage to negotiate a much lower fee.

Read: Explained – The real reasons Andrey Santos wanted to leave Chelsea 

Scorzo’s Take: The verdict on the deal

Baleba provides United with a long-term successor to Casemiro. His mobility is light-years ahead of what the veteran Brazilian offered last season, and he could form a brilliant partnership with Kobbie Mainoo. But £100m is nonsense for a player who is hot and cold for six months. INEOS need to play hardball, refuse to get bullied by Tony Bloom, and walk away if Brighton won’t talk sense.