Manchester United are seemingly keen to sign Carlos Baleba, but Brighton’s hefty price tag could force them to look elsewhere.
The Premier League giants have finally completed their attacking jigsaw, as Benjamin Sesko has arrived to complete his €85 million transfer from RB Leipzig. The Slovenian will spearhead the charge, supported by fellow new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbuemo.
Therefore, INEOS have already shifted their attention towards the middle of the park, as they look to add a new midfield enforcer to partner Bruno Fernandes in the double pivot.
Man Utd identify Carlos Baleba as primary target
As things stand, Baleba is Man Utd’s most desired profile, and it’s easy to understand why. The 23-year-old is a battling midfielder who is excellent at retrieving the ball. He has all the ‘intensity’ that Ruben Amorim is yearning for.
However, United have a ‘slight’ problem on their hands: Brighton do not wish to sell the Cameroonian, especially at this relatively late stage of the summer… that is unless INEOS were to fork out an irresistible offer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Seagulls have set their asking price at a whopping £105 million.
Therefore, it would be wise for MUFC to entertain alternative solutions, including one that has been in the air for quite some time now.
Over the past few months, the Reds have been sporadically linked with Atalanta’s Ederson, a 26-year-old midfielder who was hailed as an ‘out of this world’ player by former Real Madrid and England manager Fabio Capello.
Fabio Capello has praised Atalanta midfielder Ederson in today’s Gazzetta dello Sport: “He is out of this world for his ability to combine running, physicality, technique and intelligence”. pic.twitter.com/qXkIfZOUiO
— Atalanta BC News (@AtalantaBC_News) December 7, 2024
The Campo Grande is an almost complete midfielder who combines stamina, skills and vision. He has been such an elemental figure in Gian Piero Gasperini’s tactical jigsaw that he has hardly ever missed a match for the Bergamo-based club.
Why Ederson could be the best solution for Man United
As evidenced by the stats provided by DataMB, Ederson might not be as effective as Baleba when it comes to retrieving the ball, but he has the upper hand in almost every other category, including duels won and progressive play.
| Player (Stats in 24/25) | Carlos Baleba | Ederson |
| Duels won | 43.3% | 62.6% |
| Possession won | 73 | 38.5 |
| Forward pass | 58.2% | 77.5% |
| Key passes | 30.5 | 57.6 |
In other words, the Brazilian is a more refined profile who boasts more experience on the big stage compared to the Brighton star. He also has more artillery in his arsenal. This is why Ederson could be the ideal profile to partner Bruno, as he should be able to strike a swift understanding with the Man United captain.
Moreover, Atalanta had previously set their price tag at £50 million, which means that the former Salernitana star would cost less than half of Baleba’s asking price.
Nevertheless, one would wonder if this ship has already sailed in July, because just like the Seagulls, the Italian Goddess would be loath to sell one of her finest jewels in August.
