Carlos Baleba: 10 things Man United fans didn’t know about the Brighton star heading for Old Trafford | OneFootball

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Manchester United are closing in on their fifth signing of the summer. The Red Devils brought in winger Tynan Thompson alongside back-up keeper Karl Darlow.

United have also completed their revamp of the midfield by signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and yesterday agreed a fee with Brighton & Hove Albion for Cameroonian Carlos Baleba.

Here are 10 things supporters may not know about United’s latest addition.

1) Baleba was born in Douala, Cameroon, which is the country’s biggest city and economic capital, in 2004.

2) The energetic midfielder plays for Cameroon, the country of his birth, but he also holds French citizenship.

3) His father is also a former professional footballer who played in Cameroon and South Africa.

4) His parents would push him to train, and it is no wonder Baleba is famous for his non-stop running. He revealed in an interview with The Guardian that “as well as two hours of ‘non-stop’ running every day, Baleba would sprint between truck tyres on a road near his home to work on his agility and honed his gymnastic skills at the local beach.”

5) His mother sadly died just before he left LOSC Lille in 2023 and before he departed for Brighton.

6) In September 2024, Baleba scored his first professional goal for Brighton in a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

7) As a child, his idols were Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thiago Alcantara.

8) He already has connections with some of his teammates, as he played with Leny Yoro at LOSC Lille and is international teammates with Bryan Mbeumo for Cameroon.

9) Baleba impressed while at Brighton and won the club’s Young Player of the Year award in 2025.

10) The 22-year-old is heavily involved with different anti-racism initiatives and spoke to young people in a workshop during his time at the Seagulls.