Baleba edging closer to Brighton exit, United need to act quickly as big European side move in for the kill – report

Manchester United are back to square one in their plans to revamp the midfield after the latest developments. The Red Devils had wrapped up a deal for Ederson pretty early on in the summer window while they concluded a deal for Andrey Santos in record time after missing out on Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes. Which meant Michael Carrick only needed one more to complete the planned revamp. But now, the deal for Ederson has broken down after the Atalanta ace failed his medical. This means United once again need two more signings and INEOS could return to a familiar name as they look for Premier League-proven options. Carlos Baleba, a long-term target for United The only reason Carlos Baleba is not a United player is because of Brighton & Hove Albion’s exorbitant price tag. There were murmurs that his price could fall this season, given the Cameroonian’s struggles in the last campaign. This also alerted Galatasaray to his availability, with Fanatik claiming that the Turkish side are preparing a £43 million offer for the 22-year-old. Interestingly, Carlos Baleba is keen to depart the Amex Stadium for Turkiye, provided both teams can come to an agreement. Carlos Baleba keen to join Galatasaray “Galatasaray, accelerating its efforts to sign a midfielder, has opened its purse strings wide for Brighton’s 22-year-old Cameroonian defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba. “The English team sees Baleba as the future of their squad. Therefore, the transfer fee being discussed is reportedly between 40 and 50 million Euros. Despite the high cost, the Galatasaray management is continuing negotiations with Brighton to find a mutually beneficial deal. “The most significant advantage in the transfer is the player’s strong interest in joining Galatasaray. It has been learned that Baleba is ready to come to Istanbul if the clubs reach an agreement.” Pressure on United to join the chase Whether this is a pressure tactic to force United to enter a bidding war remains unclear. One thing is for certain, the Seagulls will not sell Carlos Baleba for £43 million. Whether INEOS come up with an improved offer remains to be see. Last summer United valued the Brighton ace at £75 million, and it is likely a lower offer will be tabled this time around if push comes to shove. Feature 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25