- Manchester United cool interest in Carlos Baleba
- Midfielder is still a possibility
- The Seagulls would need to reduce their evaluation
Manchester United’s interest in Carlos Baleba has reportedly cooled, with the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder no longer sitting at the very top of the club’s midfield shortlist.
The Cameroonian remains, however, a potential option provided Brighton soften their current valuation. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024/25, with his midfield displays attracting attention from clubs across Europe.
United have tracked Baleba for some time. Last summer, reports suggested Brighton rejected an offer from United that included cash plus Toby Collyer.
Brighton stood firm, refusing to entertain offers below £115 million—the same figure they received for Moises Caicedo in 2023. At the time, the Seagulls expected serious approaches to arrive in 2026 rather than 2025, with multiple clubs monitoring Baleba but hesitant to commit after just two Premier League seasons, per The Athletic.
In hindsight, that stance may have cost them. A difficult campaign has since tempered his market value.
Baleba Drops Down Wishlist
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell gave an update on United’s interest in Baleba while speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast. He said:
“Baleba, we’ve been here before with United. It didn’t get that close because Brighton were never willing to sell at a price United would meet. He’s had a difficult season, so his name has faded a bit, but he’s still a genuine possibility. His name has kind of gone away from the discussion, but he is someone who is still a genuine possibility.”
There are genuine concerns surrounding Baleba among both the United fanbase and figures within the club hierarchy. Whilst he is still capable of producing strong individual displays—such as his recent performance in Brighton’s 3-0 win over Chelsea FC, where he completed just his third full 90 minutes of the season—the midfielder has simply not delivered consistently across the majority of matches.
Baleba was hooked in 17 matches this season, with four of those changes made at half-time. External speculation may have disrupted his focus.
The Cameroon international himself addressed this in a press conference on 14 December, stating that he did not believe the rumours affected him “negatively,” but admitted that he had placed “a lot of pressure” on himself.
Baleba said:
“When I started this season, I wanted to show the same performances as last season. Every day I try to work hard and get back to my level. Did I put too much pressure on myself? Yes, I think so, but I think it’s good. It’s good for me.”
Even so, questions remain. If Baleba has struggled to manage that pressure while merely being linked with United, how would he cope with the demands of actually playing at Old Trafford?
United Stance Over Baleba Price
Whitwell also noted in that, while United were willing to go as high as £75 million for Baleba last summer, that valuation has now dropped closer to £50 million.
United believe this represents a fairer deal, but with notoriously tough negotiator Tony Bloom leading discussions for Brighton, it remains unclear how much United would ultimately need to pay until a deal is struck.
As the data shows, while Baleba has improved in certain defensive metrics, his overall game has declined, with the midfielder faltering in several other areas. Is £50 million a fair price for Baleba? Quite possibly.
But even at that figure, it could still be viewed as excessive if the midfielder’s level drops further when he walks through the doors at Old Trafford.
