Wayne Rooney believes Carlos Baleba could make a huge difference to Manchester United‘s midfield as the Brighton midfielder completes his move to Old Trafford.
Carlos Baleba completed a £70 million switch to United, with Michael Carrick’s side finally getting their man after previously trying to sign him. Wayne Rooney is clearly a fan of what the Cameroon international can bring to the team.
The former United striker sees something that has been missing from the midfield and thinks Baleba’s physical qualities could give Carrick another dimension.
Rooney explains what Baleba can bring
Speaking on the Stick to United with Wayne Rooney podcast, Rooney backed the proposed signing and pointed to one particular quality.
“I really like him [Baleba], I think he’s a really good signing,” Rooney said.
“We need another midfield player with a bit of physicality and I know he’s not six-foot-four or whatever.”
That physical presence could be particularly useful for United. Rooney doesn’t see Baleba as a player who simply sits in front of the defence. Instead, he highlighted the midfielder’s ability to cover ground and get involved.
“But he covers the ground really well, he’s aggressive, he takes the ball, and that is what we need. He’s a very good player who will improve the team massively.”
United have already added Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to their midfield this summer. Kobbie Mainoo is also competing for a place, meaning Baleba’s arrival would give Carrick plenty of options.
Paul Scholes, meanwhile has said that he didn’t understand why Kobbie Mainoo was missing from Carrick’s team in the opening day defeat to Hull City. Paul Scholes has backed Kobbie Mainoo and termed him better than all three new signings.
For Rooney, that competition is exactly what Manchester United should be creating.
“It will be interesting with Tielemans, Santos and [Kobbie] Mainoo, but this is what it should be. Competition for places. If you don’t play well, you don’t play.”
Baleba gets another chance to prove himself
There is an interesting background to Baleba’s potential move. Manchester United tried to sign him previously, but the deal didn’t happen. His 2025-26 season then proved difficult, with the midfielder unable to establish himself as a regular first-team player.
Rooney doesn’t believe that means Baleba’s ability should be questioned.
“I don’t think he went missing. The chance doesn’t come around that often to play for Manchester United, so you don’t know what effect that has,” he said.
“There’s no denying his ability as a player. I think he is a top player.”
That faith will be welcome for Baleba, particularly with United coming off a disappointing opening weekend. Carrick’s team were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City, with Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scoring in the first half.
The defeat has already increased the scrutiny on United’s midfield, despite the club having invested heavily in the area during the summer. The midfield, including newly crowned PFA Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes, failed to make an impact.
Carlos Baleba could now become the next piece of that rebuild. Rooney believes the midfielder has the right skills and ability to make an immediate difference, while his arrival would also give Carrick another serious option when deciding how to set up his team.
The move was made official yesterday and Rooney clearly expects him to have an important role at Manchester United.
