A potential transfer target for 2026 may have emerged for Manchester City | OneFootball

Entering the 25/26 season the Manchester City midfield looks to have been greatly improved. So far this summer Pep Guardiola’s side has Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan. Reijnders’ addition, alongside the return of Rodri from an ACL injury, gives the City midfield a completely different look. Last season Manchester City’s midfield looked old and slow at times. That shouldn’t be the case next season.

Come the end of the 25/26 season the futures of Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic seem to be clouded. It wouldn’t be a major surprise to see Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan call time on their City careers as their contracts expire. Kovacic is currently 31 years of age and may be a player City looks to move on in the summer of 2026. If those three moves did occur, then Manchester City would need to sign a midfielder or two during the 2026 summer transfer window. Now it has emerged that City have an interest in potentially signing Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba. That could be a move that City pursue next summer.

Manchester City are known admirers of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.

Rob Dawson has reported for ESPN that Manchester City have a long-standing interest in potentially signing Carlos Baleba. Dawson reports that Pep Guardiola is a fan of the dynamic Brighton midfielder. Furthermore, Dawson reports that Manchester United also have an interest in signing Baleba. Dawson reports that Brighton has set an asking price of €120 million to sell Baleba. It would be unlikely that Manchester City would pursue a move for the Cameroon midfielder.

There would be little to no chance of City moving for Carlos Baleba this summer, but next summer may be a different story.

As mentioned above there would be seemingly be little to no chance of Manchester City pursuing a move for Carlos Baleba this summer. Pep Guardiola’s squad is stacked with midfielders and there doesn’t look to be any need for City to sign another. After spending big this summer it would be a major surprise to see City spend another €120 million on Baleba.

But next summer could be a different proposition entirely. As mentioned above it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic leave the club at the end of the 25/26 season. If that occurred then Manchester City move for Carlos Baleba. That move would make sense. But it is 12 months away and there are a lot of moving parts to play out before that particular move would become a reality.

If Carlos Baleba stays at Brighton and does not sign for Manchester United this summer he could be a midfielder Manchester City look to sign in the summer of 2026. Baleba is one of the best young midfield prospects in the Premier League. But the summer of 2026 is a long way away so perhaps it’s a story to store away and monitor from afar for now.