Man United reportedly suffer major setback in the pursuit to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton

Having sorted the front line by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United have shifted focus towards midfield, but endured a major hit as Brighton have rejected the opening bid for their identified target, Carlos Baleba.

After splurging over £200 million in the summer transfer window ahead of the start of the 2025/26 season, are in the mood to make further signings and as reported by English media, the club has identified Brighton’s young midfielder Carlos Baleba as a worthy target to move mountains for. However, as per a report by Sky Sports, the interest has met with a setback as Brighton have rejected United’s opening bid for the 21-year-old.

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As reported by Sky Sports, Manchester United made a player-cash offer to Brighton for the Cameroon international, with the player on the offer being defensive midfielder Toby Collyer. The Seagulls reportedly are not ready to consider a bid less than £115million, which ironically is the same figure they received for Moises Caicedo from Chelsea in 2023. Moreover, Brighton do not desire to sell Baleba, as reported by The Sun.

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Nonetheless, the Sun further reports that, United are undeterred by that and keen on bringing Baleba to Old Trafford during the ongoing transfer window.

Baleba misses Brighton’s last three pre-season games

Baleba did not feature in Brighton’s last three pre-season games. However, it is not seemingly because the club does not see him as a part of the plans for the next season. It is due to the fact that the midfielder is struggling with a knee injury that he sustained during a training session, as reported by The Sun.

While Brighton would want to keep Baleba for the upcoming season, they have a contingency plan ready in case the Red Devils meet the required demand for the player.

The Sun further reports that Diego Gomes and Malick Yalcouye are ready to claim the midfield position. Moreover, Jack Hinshelwood, Matt O’Riley, Mats Wieffer and Yasin Ayari all intend to garner more minutes in the coming season.

Thus, let’s see whether Manchester United can arrange the funds to sign Carlos Baleba. Notably, the club has already signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko in the current window.

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