Manchester United are in ‘regular contact’ to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Manchester United prioritised attacking reinforcements last summer, allocating a significant share of their spending to acquiring multiple forwards.
After negotiations that stretched beyond a month, Bryan Mbeumo was signed from Brentford, while Matheus Cunha joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Red Devils also saw off competition from Newcastle United to land Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig, giving Ruben Amorim a strong attacking trio for the campaign.
In contrast, midfield was left untouched, a surprising outcome given how unbalanced that area appeared last season.
As a result, Amorim has deployed Bruno Fernandes in deeper positions alongside an in-form Casemiro, while Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have been tipped for a departure despite the latter beginning to find form in the manager’s system.
Attention has now turned toward recruiting a midfielder who fits Amorim’s tactical demands, with Baleba emerging as a serious option after United’s failed attempt to sign him last summer.
Now, according to Romano, the Red Devils remain in ‘regular contact’ with Baleba’s entourage to negotiate for his possible transfer to Old Trafford.
The reputable transfer expert adds that the Cameroonian international has been earmarked as one of the Red Devils’ targets to reinforce Ruben Amorim’s squad in 2026.
Audacious swoop
However, while United maintain a concrete interest in the 22-year-old, Romano clarifies that no fresh bid or direct contacts with Brighton have taken place so far in January.
United’s need for reinforcement was evident in their disappointing 1-1 draw against Leeds United, where the patched-up nature of their squad was best summed up by their having as many as six players aged 21 or younger on the bench.
Although they netted the equaliser on this occasion, the Red Devils have conceded more equalisers than any other Premier League team this season, with their opponents drawing level on no fewer than 12 occasions, a glaring result of their lack of combativeness, making a move for a holding midfielder very vital.
United currently lacks the grit in the middle of the park needed to disrupt the opposition’s attack, especially when they need to preserve leads.
With Baleba earmarked as a solid option for this role, it’ll be interesting to see whether the club pursues a deal this January by submitting a significant offer well above his £52m Transfermarkt valuation or waits until next summer to negotiate a favourable fee.
