Manchester United have made their first formal approach for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba as they look to strengthen their midfield ahead of the 2025/26 season, according to a report from The Standard Sport.
After investing heavily in the forward line with over £200 million spent on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, manager Ruben Amorim is now targeting midfield reinforcements. He admitted during pre-season that the squad lacks pace and dynamism in central areas.
Baleba, 21, is seen as a priority target and one of the Premier League’s brightest young midfielders. United contacted Brighton last week to explore a possible deal, but the Seagulls are reluctant to sell and value the Cameroon international at over £100 million—comparable to the £115 million Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023.
According to The Standard, United submitted their opening bid recently, proposing a fee plus young midfielder Toby Collyer as part of a player-plus-cash deal. The offer has been swiftly rejected by Brighton, who have no plans to part with Baleba unless their full valuation is met.
Collyer, 20, made his senior debut for United last season under Erik ten Hag and featured in 13 matches. He has been involved in pre-season and could be loaned out, with Sheffield Wednesday showing interest. However, Brighton are believed to prefer a straight-cash deal and are not currently considering Collyer as a makeweight.
Baleba has been absent from Brighton’s last three pre-season games, fuelling speculation about his future. Club sources, however, say he is recovering from a minor knee injury and not being sidelined due to the transfer situation. He was seen watching from the stands during their behind-closed-doors friendly against Wolfsburg last weekend.
Manchester City are also monitoring Baleba, but United appear to be leading the race for now. It remains to be seen whether United will return with an improved offer closer to Brighton’s demands.
As the new Premier League season kicks off this weekend—with Brighton hosting Fulham and United taking on Arsenal at Old Trafford—all eyes will be on whether Baleba features or remains out amid ongoing transfer uncertainty.