Manchester United believe Carlos Baleba would be an “outstanding fit” at Old Trafford, but there is a major obstacle which has effectively killed any hope of a deal for the Brighton & Hove Albion enforcer, as per the latest report. Midfield Monster The Red Devils made overtures to sign Baleba last summer, with then-head coach Ruben Amorim believing the 22-year-old’s all-action style would be perfect in his 3-4-2-1 system. Brighton were not open to entertaining their midfielder’s exit, however, refusing to even name a set price for the Cameroon international, though well-placed sources indicate it would have required a fee in excess of £100 million to change their stance. Out of respect for the Seagulls, INEOS did not advance their interest any further, despite the player having given his green light over a move to M16, with personal terms agreed. Baleba is even said to have spoken to fellow Cameroonians, Bryan Mbeumo and Andre Onana, about the switch. Old Trafford officials have maintained contact with Baleba’s camp over the past twelve months, in case they decide to reignite a pursuit. The agreement over a contract is understood to still be in place, while Baleba has remained a target high on United’s radar. This has only been strengthened by the double setback of missing out on Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes earlier in the window. Transfer expert Graeme Bailey reveals the club would “absolutely love” to strike a deal for Baleba this summer as he is considered the ideal profile to provide Michael Carrick with an anchor in midfield, having seen Casemiro depart on a free transfer. “What I am hearing is they want someone who can really help them defensively,” Bailey states. “In an ideal world they’d just sign Carlos Baleba. They absolutely love his game. Yes, he didn’t have his best season, but they still believe he’d be an outstanding fit for Manchester United.” Major gap on price Despite the desire to see Baleba in a red shirt, Brighton & Hove Albion’s refusal to budge on their exorbitant valuation has “effectively ended any realistic hopes” of a deal on Manchester United’s end. Baleba’s form torpedoed last season after his dream move to Old Trafford failed to materialise. Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler publicly acknowledged as much during a run of fixtures where he substituted the Douala native at half-time. But in light of the big-money moves elsewhere in the Premier League, such as Anderson’s £116 million switch to Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur’s £100m deal for Sandro Tonali, Brighton & Hove Albion are holding firm on their demands for Baleba. The Red Devils are understood to value him around the £50 million mark. By contrast, figures at the Amex Stadium consider him worth “well north of £75m and closer to £100m.” Bailey concludes this chasm in price “immediately puts him outside United’s thinking.” United fans would be best served to park any dreams of seeing Baleba at the Theatre of Dreams next season in the ‘not going to happen’ pile, unless INEOS pull a rabbit out of their hat, or a pig flies across Brighton pier after Seagulls chairman Tony Bloom accepts a cut-price deal. Featured image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.
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