United confident of signing £75m star who wants to play with “big brother” at Old Trafford – report

Manchester United’s limited depth in midfield has led to the club being linked with several midfielders. According to The Daily Mail, United’s head of negotiations, Matt Hargreaves, has held numerous meetings throughout January to explore the possibility of bringing in a short-term midfield option. James Garner, Joao Gomes, Tyler Adams, Wilfred Ndidi and Ruben Neves have all been discussed at Old Trafford. However, United have resisted making a serious approach for any of them. Manchester United’s preferred midfield targets unattainable in January It is claimed Manchester United intend to undertake a “major surgery” on the midfield in the summer. Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton are their three primary targets. For the Nottingham Forest star, the Red Devils face strong competition from Manchester City. The England international is reportedly keen to wait until after the World Cup to decide his future. Meanwhile, the Crystal Palace gem is being “heavily pursued” by Liverpool. However, United are “somewhat relaxed” regarding the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder, who even agreed personal terms to join the club last summer. Manchester United in pole position to sign Carlos Baleba The Daily Mail suggests that Baleba has “privately expressed” a desire to play at Old Trafford alongside Cameroon team-mate Bryan Mbeumo. The 26-year-old winger has made a prolific start to his United career after moving from Brentford. It has previously been reported that Mbeumo is like a “big brother” to 21-year-old Baleba. United also allegedly believe that they would be able to sign Baleba for a lower fee than initially quoted last summer. It is understood that Brighton still value their dynamic midfielder at £100 million, but United feel a fee close to £75m should get the deal done for Baleba. 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 Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!