Manchester United's Midfield Search: Carlos Baleba Back on Radar

Manchester United’s midfield search has a familiar name back on the radar – and this time, the green light is coming directly from the player.

Carlos Baleba, Brighton’s powerful holding midfielder, has long had Old Trafford in his sights. United know it. His camp knows it. The only question is whether the club finally act.

United’s rebuild, one piece missing

Pre-season has started with purpose. A 5-0 dismantling of Rosenborg has given Michael Carrick a smooth opening to his first full campaign in charge, while the recruitment department has already delivered Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to reshape the midfield.

More signings are planned. A left-back is on the list. A forward is likely, depending on who leaves. But inside Carrick’s staff, there is no real debate: the next central midfielder is the key piece. Casemiro is gone. The pivot role, in the modern game, is the heartbeat. Get that wrong, and everything else stutters.

Which is why Baleba refuses to disappear from the conversation.

A year of waiting for Old Trafford

Manchester United pushed hard for Baleba last year. Fabrizio Romano has detailed how close it came, explaining on his YouTube channel that in August 2023 the Brighton midfielder had agreed personal terms with United and was “pushing like crazy” to make the move.

Baleba wanted it. He saw himself in red. United saw him as a top target under then-coach Ruben Amorim.

Brighton, though, closed the door. They simply would not sell, and the move collapsed before it ever reached the decisive stage. The admiration at Old Trafford remained, but once Amorim and United parted ways in January, the Baleba track went cold.

Now his name is back in circulation – and this time, it is the player’s side knocking.

According to Romano, those close to Baleba have reopened contact with United, sounding out whether the club might return for him after other midfield pursuits, including a move for Ederson, fell away. It is not United chasing the deal at this point. It is Baleba’s camp asking a simple question: is there still a chance?

Brighton’s price is not publicly fixed, but any conversation starts north of £70 million. That is elite midfielder territory, and they know it.

The ‘monster’ in the middle

United’s interest is not built on hype alone. At 22, Baleba has already shown he can handle the Premier League’s tempo and physicality, anchoring Brighton’s midfield with a blend of power and composure that has turned heads across the division.

Inside some recruitment circles he has been labelled a “monster” – not for clumsy aggression, but for the way he covers ground, snaps into duels and then steps out with the ball. He is not the finished article, but the ceiling is obvious.

Former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam spelled out the appeal last year when he picked out Baleba and Yasin Ayari as standouts at Brighton, recalling their display in a win at Old Trafford. He described Baleba as “a very good player” and “something that’s different from what’s been in the Premier League,” highlighting his age and profile as the next in Brighton’s production line.

Roberto De Zerbi, who worked closely with him at Brighton before moving to Tottenham, went even further. The Italian backed Baleba to become “one of the best players in the Premier League in the future.” Coaches do not use that kind of language lightly.

Decision time at Old Trafford

For United, the equation is sharp. They need a long-term anchor in midfield. They have already seen Baleba up close, both in direct competition and across a full Premier League campaign. The player is open, even eager. His entourage are testing the waters again.

The hesitation sits with United’s hierarchy. Commit over £70m to a 22-year-old with high upside but limited top-flight mileage? Or look elsewhere for a cheaper, more experienced option to stabilise Carrick’s evolving side?

Baleba has made his position clear. He dreamed of Old Trafford once and has not let that idea go. The door is not closed.

Now it is on Manchester United to decide whether this is the summer they finally walk through it.