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Carlos Baleba: What Man United now think about pulling off £100m midfield deal
Jan 15 2026 20:16 · By onefootball.com · 16 Reads
Manchester United were widely expected to overhaul their midfield in 2026. Ideally, that transformation should have kicked off last summer, yet it never materialised.
Ineos had already identified Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba as a prime target. However, their move for the Cameroon international was swiftly rebuffed by the Seagulls.
The 22‑year‑old was labelled not for sale, and the Red Devils saw little sense in forcing the issue .
Naturally, the transfer was always likely to be revisited. United even dropped a telling hint by refusing to pursue stop‑gap signings, signalling their intent to wait for the right moment.
As Rob Dawson revealed via ESPN :
“United are hoping to bring in at least one high‑level midfielder in the summer with another, cheaper option to supplement them.”
It is increasingly clear that United will go all out to finally secure a marquee midfield signing. The Sun suggest that the player could well be Baleba.
The UK outlet reported :
“Man Utd growing increasingly confident of Carlos Baleba transfer as they look to transform midfield.”
“United are becoming more optimistic about prising Baleba away from the Amex in the summer.”
Should United pull off this £100 million deal, as it is suggested it could rise to, it would represent a major coup for Ineos.
Baleba endured a slow start to the season and has not consistently looked like the “perfect midfielder” who caught the eye last year.
Yet his standout performances at AFCON , anchoring Cameroon’s midfield, served as a timely reminder of his quality and potential.
In truth, United’s central midfield has been overlooked for far too long. In the past seven years, the 20‑time English champions have signed only two players in that position: Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro .
It is high time the club invested properly to revive the engine room, a department that should no longer be allowed to remain a point of weakness.
Featured image Ryan Pierse via Getty Images
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