Manchester United's Pursuit of Carlos Baleba: A Midfield Gamble

Manchester United have been handed a clear green light by Carlos Baleba – but, for now, they are choosing to stand and watch.

Pre-season is already rolling at Old Trafford. A 5-0 dismantling of Rosenborg has eased some early nerves, Michael Carrick has Tielemans and Andrey Santos through the door, and the squad is beginning to take shape. The real job, though, still sits in the middle of the pitch.

Casemiro has gone. The pivot role that once felt secure is wide open again. United know they cannot bluff their way through a season without a commanding holding midfielder at the heart of it. They also know one of the most intriguing options on the market has been waiting for their call for a year.

A move that never happened

Carlos Baleba has been on United’s radar before. During the January window, his name sat high on their list as Brighton’s powerful holding midfielder emerged as a serious candidate. The interest never quite became a bid, but the groundwork was there long before that.

Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, laid out just how close it came last year. According to him, Baleba was “pushing like crazy” in August 2023 to join United, with personal terms already agreed. For the player, it was the dream move. For Brighton, it was a non-starter. They simply refused to sell.

At that stage, Baleba was a top target in a United plan that also involved Ruben Amorim. When the Amorim idea faded and the club changed direction in January, the Baleba pursuit cooled with it. A track that once looked like a fast lane to Old Trafford suddenly went quiet.

Now the name is back in circulation. Not because United have launched a fresh assault, but because Baleba’s camp has knocked on the door again. As Romano explained, those close to the player have contacted United to see whether, after the collapse of a move for Ederson and other midfield twists, there is any appetite to reopen talks.

The message from Baleba’s side is simple: if United want him, he is ready.

A ‘monster’ waiting for the next step

The question is what price Brighton will demand. There is no firm figure in public this summer, but any deal is expected to come in north of £70 million. That is elite midfielder money, the sort of fee that forces a club to be absolutely sure.

On talent, the belief around Baleba is strong. At just 22, he has already shown he can handle the Premier League’s pace and physicality. He has been described as a “monster” in midfield, a player who can break up play, drive forward and impose himself on games that often swallow younger holding players whole.

Former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam watched him closely when Brighton won at Old Trafford and came away impressed. He highlighted Baleba, alongside Yasin Ayari, as part of the next wave from Brighton’s production line, calling the Cameroonian “a very good player” and “something that’s different from what’s been in the Premier League.”

Roberto De Zerbi went even further during his time at Brighton. “I believe in Carlos,” he said. “He can become one of the best players in the Premier League in the future, for sure.” Coming from a coach who has helped polish some of the league’s most exciting talents, that carries weight.

United’s midfield gamble

Inside Old Trafford, the rebuild has already taken on a clear shape. Tielemans brings experience and craft, Santos adds energy and upside, and recruitment plans still include another midfielder, a left-back and likely a forward, depending on departures.

Yet everything circles back to that pivot role. The modern game demands a world-class anchor: someone who can protect the back line, dictate tempo, and survive the most intense pressing storms. United had that in Casemiro at his peak. They no longer do.

Baleba fits the profile. Young, physically dominant, already tested in the league, and desperate to wear the shirt. The club, though, are taking their time with the final midfield signing of the summer. Other options exist. Other prices may be easier to swallow.

So the situation hangs in the balance. On one side, a 22-year-old Brighton midfielder who has already agreed personal terms once and still dreams of Old Trafford. On the other, a Manchester United hierarchy weighing up whether to commit more than £70 million to a player they once considered a top target, then allowed to drift.

The ball, unmistakably, is at United’s feet. The only question now is whether they are bold enough to play it.