Manchester United Pay £70m for Brighton's Carlos Baleba
Manchester United have agreed a deal worth up to £70m with Brighton to sign Carlos Baleba, comprising an initial £65m fee alongside £5m in add-ons and a sell-on clause. The 22-year-old midfielder is scheduled to undergo a medical this weekend following the breakthrough in talks on Friday evening.
The 22-year-old midfielder originally moved to England from French club Lille in August 2023 for £23.2m. He provides central running and left-sided coverage across the pitch.
Brighton
clubThe Cameroon international was eager to make the move north to join Manchester United as negotiations progressed between the two clubs.
Michael Carrick Gains Central Athleticism and Left-Sided Cover
Head coach Michael Carrick gets immediate physical presence in the middle of the pitch. Baleba brings direct tackling and ball carrying out of central areas, while his left-footed background offers cover at left-back alongside Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, and Noussair Mazraoui.
Carlos Baleba
playerMidfield Reshape Follows Casemiro Exit and Manuel Ugarte Injury
The move addresses urgent selection issues at Old Trafford following Casemiro’s departure at the end of his contract and a serious knee injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte on international duty with Uruguay. Baleba joins earlier summer recruits Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos in the squad, with Kobbie Mainoo also available for Saturday’s Premier League match against Hull City.
Summer Spending Reaches £153m With Brighton Sell-On Included
The £70m transfer package takes United’s total outlay for the summer window to £153m, following their earlier investments in Tielemans and Santos. Brighton secured a sell-on clause in the final agreement after accepting the initial £65m structure.
Simon Stone.