According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are leading the pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba as they seek to replace Casemiro this summer.
Man United have a big void to fill during the summer transfer window with Casemiro confirmed to depart. It has been officially announced that the Brazilian will leave when his contract expires on June 30.
The 34-year-old has been in a rich vein of form over the past few months with several key goals, but the Mancunian giants have made the decision to part ways and don’t plan to change their stance.
Caught Offside now claim that United want to replace Casemiro with Baleba and they could land his services for a much lesser fee.
The Cameroonian ace was valued at £115 million by Brighton last summer, but he could be available for £65 million-69 million amid his struggles during the ongoing campaign with the Seagulls.
Unconvincing
Baleba had a brilliant 2024/25 campaign with Brighton in the Premier League. He completed 88% of his passes in the English top-flight with 6 duels & 2 tackles won. He also made close to 6 recoveries on average for the South Coast outfit.
The transfer interest from the Red Devils was justifiable as a result, but his performances have been pretty average since the speculation last summer. It can be said that the midfielder has been hampered by the reported transfer interest.
In the ongoing league season, the former Lille man has a passing accuracy of 86% and has started just 21 league games. His defensive statistics are underwhelming too with just 3 duels won alongside 3 recoveries and 1 tackle per game.
Baleba has started on the bench under manager Fabian Hurzeler on many occasions this year. Hence, he is no longer an indispensable figure and could be permitted to head for the exit door for a much lower valuation in the next transfer window.
United have been credited with an interest once again, but the big question is whether they proceed with an approach. His form has been unconvincing, but the Red Devils could still bank on his previous season form and pursue his signature.
Despite his shortcomings this term, Baleba is still only 22 and has plenty of room for development. Hence, it won’t be a surprise if the Red Devils proceed and make an official bid for the Cameroonian star at the end of the campaign.
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