Brighton confirm Carlos Baleba stance amid Man United interest | OneFootball

Brighton Stand Firm on Carlos Baleba Interest

United’s Midfield Hunt Heating Up

Manchester United’s intentions for next summer are already coming into focus. According to Sky Sports News, signing a midfielder will be one of their top priorities when the window opens. Casemiro’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and there is growing belief that an extension will not be offered. That reality is forcing United to draw up contingency plans.

Among the names under consideration is Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. United explored a move during the previous window but stepped away when it became clear Brighton had no interest in selling. That stance remains unchanged. Talk Sport reported that Brighton are still unwilling to cash in during January, even with United’s admiration persisting.

“Nothing has changed with regard to United’s admiration of the player,” the report stated, reinforcing just how long-standing the interest has been.

Brighton’s Reputation for Resolve

Brighton have become renowned for setting their own terms in the transfer market. They do not allow timelines to be dictated by others, and Baleba appears to be the latest example of that strategy. Selling midway through a season, particularly when fighting to maintain momentum in multiple competitions, goes against the club’s philosophy.

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It is believed that United will have to be patient and wait until at least the summer if they hope to reignite talks. Even then, competition could be fiercer. Baleba is “understood to be one of a number of options United are looking at, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson also admired.”

Brighton, however, rarely enter a negotiation without already holding the winning cards.

Summer Battle in Waiting

The long build-up to a potential transfer chase often leads to inflated prices and heightened media attention. For United, this feels like another test of their ability to execute a plan decisively. For Brighton, it is yet another demonstration of their growing strength in the market.

At this stage, one certainty remains: Baleba is going nowhere in January.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

From a Brighton supporter’s perspective, this report is more reassuring than alarming. Seeing yet another Premier League heavyweight circling around our squad is nothing new, but the club’s stance is exactly what fans have come to expect. Brighton sell on their own terms, not when others demand it.

Baleba is still developing, and while the club have let big names leave before, there is a pattern. Moisés Caicedo was only moved after full value was extracted. Alexis Mac Allister earned his transfer by contributing to a peak season. Baleba has not yet reached that point. Keeping him until the summer, at minimum, gives him the platform to make his mark before any major decision is made.

There is also a growing pride that Brighton are no longer seen as a stepping stone but as an upwardly mobile project. Losing Baleba in January would feel like unnecessary disruption. Losing him in July for a British transfer record fee would feel like business as usual.

Let Manchester United wait. Brighton have bigger priorities, like finishing higher than them again.