After opting against submitting a formal bid this summer, Manchester United retain their interest in Carlos Baleba ahead of a potential future move.
Back in August, the Red Devils’ desire to sign Baleba was verified by a host of transfer experts, prompting fans to believe there was a considerable chance a deal could be done before the September 1 deadline.
INEOS splashed the cash on three mega-money signings (Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha) prior to approaching the Brighton and Hove Albion starlet, but still made contact with the Premier League outfit to gauge the feasibility of the transfer materialising.
Carlos Baleba opened door to United move this summer
To make the situation more interesting for United, Baleba himself had actually green-lit the prospective switch to Old Trafford and informed Brighton that if he were to depart in the window, the 20-time champions would be his ideal destination.
Yet, a price tag believed to be in the region of £115 million was set by the Seagulls, as they closed off the prospect of selling the 21-year-old so early into his tenure at the Amex; he joined from Lille in 2023 for a fee of £23.2m and took to the English top flight like a duck to water.
United chiefs also privately conceded that not every area of the squad could be reinforced for Ruben Amorim in one window, hence ultimately ending their short-lived pursuit of Baleba.
They did go on to acquire a new shot-stopper in the form of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, although that was only because Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir had both endured concerning starts to the campaign.
United retain Baleba interest heading into 2026
Nonetheless, the M16 faithful can take some solace in the fact that Baleba could, at some stage in the future, join United’s ranks.
Fabrizio Romano said of the situation in his GiveMeSport newsletter: “He will stay on Manchester United’s list for 2026, for sure.”
