Transfers
Man Utd’s £70m pursuit of Brighton’s Baleba reshapes midfield
Man Utd have agreed to pay up to £70 million for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, the 22‑year‑old Cameroon international, after a breakthrough on Friday evening that leaves him free to complete his medical at Old Trafford this weekend and join the squad for the upcoming season. Image source: Getty Images. ImagesImage caption confirms his August 2023 fee.
Fee and squad details
United will front an initial £65 million, with a further £5 million possible through add‑ons, while Brighton have secured a sell‑on clause as part of the agreement.
Baleba arrived at Brighton from Lille in August 2023 for a reported £23.2 million, a fee that now appears modest compared with United’s current offer.
Despite the deal, the midfielder is currently sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during Brighton’s pre‑season camp in Austria.
United’s pursuit follows the earlier arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, moves designed to reinforce a midfield depleted after veteran Brazilian Casemiro left on a free transfer.
The Baleba signing lifts United’s projected summer outlay to roughly £153 million, a sum that reflects the club’s aggressive transfer strategy.
Baleba, a left‑footed player who has occasionally featured on the flank, may also provide cover for left‑back duties, a role currently filled by right‑backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui under head coach Michael Carrick.
Manuel Ugarte’s expected departure was halted by a serious knee injury on World Cup duty with Uruguay, while England youngster Kobbie Mainoo is set to travel for the Saturday lunchtime Premier League trip to Hull City.
Baleba’s athleticism and his eagerness to move north have been cited as factors that accelerated the transfer, offering Carrick’s side additional dynamism in midfield.