Manchester United Reopen Carlos Baleba Talks With £60m Offer

Manchester United are closing in on a move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba after reviving their interest in the Cameroon international, according to BBC Sport. United have made an initial offer of £60 million, but that proposal remains below Brighton's valuation and talks between the clubs are continuing. No agreement has yet been reported.

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United also explored a deal for Baleba near the end of last summer's transfer window. BBC Sport reported that Brighton's valuation at that stage exceeded £100 million, which discouraged United from pursuing the move. The asking price has since fallen significantly, and the Old Trafford club returned to Baleba after failing in an earlier pursuit of Matheus Fernandes this summer.

Baleba made 35 appearances for Brighton last season, collecting seven yellow cards while operating as a defensive midfielder. The 22-year-old is currently expected to miss another two to three weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during Brighton's preseason training camp in Austria. Brighton were due to travel to Norway on Wednesday before facing Tromso in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League playoff on Thursday.

A transfer would add another option to a United midfield already reshaped during the summer. The club signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million in July. Mason Mount performed well alongside Santos in United's first three preseason games, but BBC Sport said Mount has been trying to recover from a foot problem suffered against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8.

BBC Sport's report noted that Baleba's role would differ from those of Santos and Tielemans. His ability to carry the ball over distance, cover ground defensively and press opponents could give Michael Carrick qualities that are less prominent elsewhere in the squad. That assessment remains prospective, however, because United must still reach terms with Brighton and Baleba's ankle injury will delay his immediate availability.

The negotiations come with the transfer deadline approaching and after a season in which Baleba's Premier League involvement declined. He went from 31 starts and three substitute appearances in 2024-25 to 23 starts and eight appearances from the bench in 2025-26. Brighton nevertheless secured European football for only the second time in their history, and the midfielder remains under their control while discussions continue.