Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes Carlos Baleba could have a huge say in how the club’s season develops, with the midfielder viewed as the missing piece in Michael Carrick’s midfield.
Carlos Baleba arrived from Brighton during the summer but has yet to make his competitive debut for Manchester United after starting the campaign with an ankle problem. His return is therefore being watched closely, especially after United’s difficult opening to the season.
The return may be near, as Carlos Baleba was involved against Lausanne in a closed-door friendly before the Premier League clash against Tottenham.
Louis Saha believes the wait for Baleba is about more than simply getting another midfielder back into the squad. He sees the Cameroon international as a player who could change the way United play.
“Manchester United’s season will only truly begin once Carlos Baleba is fit enough to be the starting, first-choice midfielder in the team,” Saha said, as quoted by Manchester Evening News.
The former United striker believes Baleba offers something different from Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans.
“He brings more power to the game than Kobbie Mainoo or Youri Tielemans, who are both great footballers, but Baleba has a greater engine and can take this team to a higher level.”
Baleba can give United’s attack more freedom
For Saha, one of Baleba’s biggest qualities is his willingness to move the ball forward himself.
“I like how aggressive he can be with the ball, and I think he can drive forward to break the lines with his dribbling,” he explained.
That is an important point for a United side that has often lacked the ability to turn possession into sustained pressure. Saha does not want Baleba restricted by a system that takes away the part of his game that makes him dangerous.
He compared the midfielder’s influence to Casemiro, even though the Brazilian offered a different skill set.
“He recovered the ball and his first pass was always forward,” Saha said.
The comparison is not about turning Baleba into another Casemiro. Instead, Saha is talking about the value of having a midfielder willing to take responsibility after winning possession and immediately pushing the team higher up the pitch.
He accepts that Baleba will make mistakes and lose the ball at times, but believes the benefits of allowing him to take those risks can outweigh the drawbacks.
For that to happen, though, United’s defence has to provide the midfielder with enough security to play on the front foot.
“This is the job of the defence to give their midfielders the confidence to take these risks and find other players,” Saha said.
Manchester United players need freedom to hurt oppositions
His argument is that United already have the attacking players needed to hurt teams. What they have lacked is the freedom to get those players into dangerous areas often enough.
Saha believes Baleba could change that.
“He can be like Casemiro… He recovered the ball and his first pass was always forward.”
The Frenchman is not dismissing Mainoo or Tielemans, either. He sees both as important to finding the right balance alongside Baleba.
“You need both,” he said.
Carlos Baleba does not necessarily need to replace United’s existing midfielders. Instead, his arrival could allow them to form a better combination.
Until then, the idea of what he could add will remain just that. But Saha clearly believes his return could be the point when Carrick’s midfield finally starts to look like it was intended to.
LIVE! Premier League 2026 / 27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments
