Despite Brighton and Hove Albion making it clear they have no desire to part ways with Carlos Baleba, Manchester United will test their resolve in the coming days.
According to Fabrizio Romano, ‘new talks’ will be held this week, with United now of the belief that the 21-year-old is ‘keen’ on a move to Old Trafford. As such, it’s thought personal terms will be relatively easy to agree.
That’s not to say the prospective transfer would be straightforward, though, as Brighton are expected to demand upwards of £100 million if their arms are twisted into sanctioning Baleba’s departure this summer. They view the midfielder in the same bracket as Moises Caicedo, who earned the Seagulls £115m when he left for Chelsea in 2023.
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell suggested on Monday evening (via the Talk of the Devils podcast) that United must feel they have a real chance at securing Baleba’s signature or else they wouldn’t have gone as far as holding talks with both the player’s representatives and intermediaries at the Amex.
Additionally, he indicated that, from INEOS’ point of view, this summer is viewed as the most suitable time to try and strike up a deal for the Cameroonian in case other clubs enter the race next year and evoke some form of bidding war. Right now, the Reds appear to be the only side materialising their interest with formal approaches.
United’s business already this window has left Ruben Amorim with a completely new-look frontline thanks to the additions of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
Such strong acquisitions mean attention can now switch to alternative areas of the squad that need bolstering ahead of the boss’s first full campaign in the dugout.
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