Manchester United have agreed a £70m deal to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with a medical set to follow within 24 hours. The move ends a pursuit that dates back to last autumn, though Baleba’s recent ankle injury means he is unlikely to feature before mid-September. According to Skysports.com.
United complete £70m Baleba deal as pursuit dating back to last autumn ends
Manchester United have agreed a £70m deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, structured as £65m guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons, with Brighton also inserting a sell-on clause. Baleba is expected to sign a five-year contract and will undergo his medical within the next 24 hours, becoming United’s third midfield addition of the summer after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
The move follows a pursuit that Sky Sports News has followed since last autumn, having broken the news of United’s enquiry during January’s transfer window. Baleba remained one of United’s top targets throughout the summer as talks progressed toward Friday’s agreement.
Sources have told Sky Sports News that when United pursued Baleba last summer, they were quoted an initial price higher than the £100m plus £15m in add-ons Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023. Despite his dip in form last season, officials are understood to be happy with the deal 12 months on.
Baleba is recovering from an ankle ligament injury sustained in pre-season, and Sky Sports News understands he is due to be fit around the middle of September. United face Manchester City on September 13 and Fulham on September 20, before a three-week international break that will allow him time to settle at Old Trafford.
Sky Sports analyst William Bitibiri notes that a year ago, Baleba was among the most coveted young midfielders in the Premier League, with a breakout season at Brighton fuelling talk of a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs. Brighton’s reported £100m-plus valuation proved a stumbling block, and the move never materialised.
His form subsequently fell away, leaving United facing a gamble as they finally complete the deal. Stylistically, though, few midfielders suit their needs better – United require greater authority in midfield and a player capable of winning the ball back in deeper areas, which Baleba’s athleticism and aggression provide.
Santos and Tielemans have been astute additions, but Baleba offers something different: specialist defensive power allied to athleticism to drive United forward. At 22, there remains a belief he can develop into one of the world’s best midfielders, and United would be betting on the player he can become rather than the one he has been.
