Manchester United announce Carlos Baleba signing from Brighton | OneFootball

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton.

According to The Athletic, United agreed an initial £65 million for the 22-year-old, with up to £5 million in add-ons and a sell-on clause for Brighton, and Baleba was set to undergo a medical after that agreement.

Baleba is currently sidelined with an ankle ligament injury picked up in pre-season. He missed Brighton’s 0-0 draw with Tromso in Thursday’s Conference League qualifier first leg, as well as their Premier League win over Aston Villa.

United explored a deal last summer and kept tracking him through 2025-26, maintaining interest despite an underwhelming campaign compared to his previous two seasons.

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have already arrived to bolster midfield options for a combined £83 million, starting together in the 2-0 defeat at Hull City on the opening weekend. Kobbie Mainoo, captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte are also in the department, with Ugarte facing a lengthy lay-off after a knee ligament injury at the World Cup this summer.

Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in summer 2023 and made 112 appearances, though only 23 of those were Premier League starts last term.

A combative ball-winner who reads play well, he is technically secure and could complement Tielemans, Mainoo and Santos as Michael Carrick reshapes United’s midfield. He offers crisp left-footed passing and confident ball carrying, and Carrick’s staff will aim to turn his long passing into more switches to wingers such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Source: NY Times

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