Brighton have just delivered a direct transfer message to Manchester United over Carlos Baleba.
United remain well-known admirers of the Brighton midfield general.
Back in the summer, they explored a move for him, but the Seagulls refused to entertain those advances. They made it clear he was not for sale, and nothing would change that stance.
INEOS duly shelved their interest.
Failing to land Baleba meant United missed the chance to inject the quality that Ruben Amorim’s midfield so clearly craved.
That decision has come back to haunt the Red Devils, with their engine room now exposed as the team’s weak link.
Amorim would certainly welcome Baleba’s arrival this winter, but can United pull it off?
Brighton remain adamant: they will not entertain approaches for the midfielder in January.
Despite the 21-year-old Cameroon international growing restless and seemingly in need of a move to rediscover his mojo, manager Fabian Hurzelar is not convinced.
Not in January
Speaking via Sports Mole, Hurzelar said of Baleba:
“He’s a Brighton player and, no matter the rumours, he’ll remain a Brighton player until the end of the season.
“Now he has to take responsibility, step up and show personality. That’s the next phase in his development.
“As we’ve said in recent weeks, development comes in waves, but you can only move forward by taking ownership. No one will help you in certain moments; you have to be your own supporter.
“He’s in the best environment possible. He’s got great team-mates who support him.”
Hurzeler’s words all but extinguish hopes of a mid-season United move for the Brighton midfielder.
Wharton preference
These revelations come just days after reports claimed United had cooled their interest in Baleba, with attention now shifting to Crystal Palace’s tempo-setter, Adam Wharton.
But as Baleba continues at the Amex, likely until next summer, he still has the chance to remind United why they were once ready to go all out for him.
With United’s midfield crying out for “open-heart surgery”, it could yet be Baleba and Wharton walking through the entry doors, not just the Englishman.
Featured image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
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Daniel Onguko
Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.
