- Manchester United eye Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
- £100m price tag put Reds off last summer
- Brighton adamant on high price despite poor form this season
Vik Varange and Danyal Khan of Sky Sports confirm that Manchester United still hold a strong interest in Carlos Baleba, after last summer’s pursuit ended empty-handed.
United are targeting swift business—mirroring last year’s move for Matheus Cunha—and want to wrap up a deal for the Cameroonian before the World Cup.
Brighton & Hove Albion remain adamant on a high price—expected to reach the £100m mark—despite the young midfielder not performing to the same level as last year.
Baleba is just one of several targets United will pursue when the transfer window opens on 15 June. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Joao Gomes, and Adam Wharton feature among the names under consideration.
Could Baleba slot in?
Manchester United are searching for a midfielder who can retain possession, impose himself defensively, and dominate off the ball. Baleba ticks every box. His availability, too, stands out. At Brighton last season, only Bart Verbruggen (3240) and Jan Paul van Hecke (2961) logged more Premier League minutes than the Cameroonian (2673).
Dive into the underlying data from 2024/25, and the profile sharpens further: Baleba ranks in the 79th percentile for one-on-one duels, successful take-ons, tackles, interceptions, and blocks among midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues.
It is not just his defensive work rate that he excels at; the 22-year-old is known for moving up the pitch and for shooting. He ranks in the top 68th percentile for non-penalty goals and shots taken.
The issue, however, is that this form has not carried over from last season.
Baleba has played under half of the available Premier League minutes, and whilst his defensive contributions remain solid—92nd percentile for possession won and 84th for duels won—his attacking play has completely floundered.
Data taken from DataMB
The graph above shows that whilst the 22-year-old has actually improved in his defensive capabilities, his attacking threat has suffered dramatically.
What is the verdict?
Would you risk up to £100 million on a player who has had an extremely sub-par season? The likelihood is no.
There is no doubt that Baleba is an extremely talented prospect, but his decline this season has been razor-sharp.
| Baleba (2024-25) | Baleba (2025-26) |
|---|---|
| Interceptions per game – 1.4 | Interceptions per game – 1 |
| Tackles per game – 2.3 | Tackles per game – 1.1 |
| Balls recovered per game – 5.8 | Balls recovered per game – 3 |
| Clearances per game – 1.3 | Clearances per game – 0.9 |
| Errors leading to shot – 1 | Errors leading to shot – 4 |
| Ground + aerial duels won per game – 5.8 | Ground + aerial duels won per game – 2.8 |
The table above not only highlights a drop-off in form, but also exposes worrying lapses in concentration. Despite playing 1,385 fewer minutes in the league this season, Baleba has committed three more errors leading to shots.
In a ball-winning role, United would rely on the Cameroonian to mop up the mistakes of his midfield partners—currently Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.
That reliability now remains in dispute.
His ground and aerial duels won per game only deepen those concerns. After posting 5.8 in the 2024/25 season—level with Casemiro—Baleba has plummeted to just 2.6 this campaign, a return that pales in comparison to his previous standard.
Baleba may still linger on United’s shortlist, but this sharp decline in form shifts the equation. With United’s shortlist brimming with elite midfield talent, Baleba’s faltering season risks seeing his candidacy fade out of contention.
