---
title: "Is Carlos Baleba solve midfield problems for Manchester United?"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2026/10/10/paul-ince-carlos-baleba-manchester-united-verdict/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Shumail Sajid"
section: "Man Utd News"
published: "2026-10-10T07:14:41Z"
modified: "2026-10-10T07:14:41Z"
---

# Is Carlos Baleba solve midfield problems for Manchester United?

**Paul Ince likes what he has seen from Carlos Baleba, but the former Manchester United midfielder has warned that the Brighton star still has areas of his game to improve.**

Carlos Baleba has attracted a lot of attention for his energy, physicality and ability to cover ground in midfield. Ince is clearly a fan, although he believes [Manchester United](https://readmanutd.com/tag/manchester-united/) must think carefully about how the midfielder would fit into their current setup.

[Speaking to the Manchester Evening News](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester-united-hero-doubts-michael-34733438), Ince also compared the situation with Casemiro. He highlighted Casemiro only played well towards the end of last season.

## **Ince Questions whether Baleba can solve United’s midfield problems**

“Listen, when you talk about Casemiro, he only played well in the back end of last season,” Ince said.

“The year before that, people were saying, ‘Get him out, he’s gone.’ So, putting your hopes on someone like Baleba is a tough, tough call, but I watched him a lot at Brighton, and I like him.”

> 🚨🗣 Paul Ince on Carlos Baleba:\
> \
> "Listen, when you talk about Casemiro, he only played well in the back end of last season," he said.\
> \
> "The year before that, people were saying, 'Get him out, he's gone.' So, putting your hopes on someone like Baleba is a tough, tough call, but I… [pic.twitter.com/j1eMLFzn9Y](https://t.co/j1eMLFzn9Y)
>
> — SimplyUtd (@SimplyUtd) [October 9, 2026](https://x.com/SimplyUtd/status/2108477909648216498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Baleba wants to see how the midfielder develops and whether he can provide the defensive balance United needs.

“I still think he’s a little bit raw in some areas, I honestly do, but I like him. He’s got legs, he’s aggressive, he can get up and down the park.”

[Paul Ince](https://readmanutd.com/tag/paul-ince/) believes United must also consider the roles of the players around him.

## **Ince raises key question over Baleba’s role**

Ince questioned whether United already have too many midfielders who prefer to push forward, leaving uncertainty over who would take responsibility for sitting deeper and protecting the defence.

“But are we just going back to what we started the conversation with? Have we got too many players who want to go forward? Is he going to be the one who sits? I don’t know.”

Despite those doubts, Ince finished on a positive note, suggesting Baleba could become an exciting player for United as the season progresses.

“As I say, they’ve got a lot of games to play, and they’re all going to get games, but I do like him. He’s an exciting player.”