Man Utd ‘closing in on deal to sign Carlos Baleba’ as Ornstein reveals staggering £35m discount | OneFootball

Manchester United are working to finalise the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton, with David Ornstein revealing that talks over the transfer are ongoing and that there is growing confidence that the Red Devils can sign the Cameroon midfielder for a fee well below last summer’s hefty £100m asking price.

The Red Devils have already secured two new midfielders this summer in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, who have arrived for a combined £85m.

But Michael Carrick had always made clear his desire to sign a third new player for his engine room this summer, as he looks to challenge for both the Premier League title and have a strong enough squad capable of going deep in the Champions League.

Baleba is a player who has been on INEOS’s radar for some 18 months, and Manchester United did hold talks with Brighton over a deal last summer.

At the time, though, the Seagulls’ demand for £100m was seen as too prohibitive for United, and they opted to walk away from a prospective deal.

However, it looks like patience is set to pay off with The Athletic reporter Ornstein dropping the bombshell update on Wednesday morning.

He posted on X: ‘EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United closing in on deal to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion.

‘MUFC offer for 22yo Cameroon midfielder ~£60+5m; below #BHAFC valuation but amicable talks continue as all parties work to reach agreement.’

Man Utd hopeful of agreeing deal for Carlos Baleba

While United’s opening bid of around £60million (€70m, $81m) plus £5m in add-ons is felt to be below what Brighton would be seeking to sell, it’s claimed that ‘amicable talks are continuing with all parties working towards finding an agreement’ for the 22-year-old.

Ornstein reports that, while the 15-cap Cameroon star’s current ankle ligament issue, expected to keep the player out of the start of the season this weekend, is not a serious enough issie to keep him out long-term, nor scupper the deal.

And with talks aimed at bringing the player to Old Trafford, the Red Devils soon hope to complete their midfield rebuild, and with Baleba set to join Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes as first-team options for Carrick.

The Red Devils bid farewell to Casemiro over the summer, with the Brazilian since joining Inter Miami, while Manuel Ugarte is currently sidelined with the knee injury he suffered during the World Cup.

Another option, Mason Mount, has also missed the final two games of pre-season.

A deal to sign Baleba will finally see United land the player after what is, in effect, an 18-month pursuit. He has played 112 times for the south-coast club, growing in the Premier League since a €27m move from Lille in July 2023.

Their interest in his services has very much been led by their data team, with the player’s work-rate and mobility seen as among the best in the league and perfect for United’s style under Carrick.

Given his left-footedness, Baleba could also potentially provide cover at left-back – another priority position for United this summer.

Despite his growth at the AMEX, Baleba’s progress slowed last season, with the player seemingly put off kilter by United’s failure to take him to Old Trafford.

United would have gone to £75m last summer, but Brighton wanted more than £100m – a fee that put them off.

However, with talks progressing, their patience looks finally set to pay off and now United are set to strike a deal for significantly below that.