Sky Sports: Man United consdering move to sign Premier League star in 2026 | OneFootball

Manchester United Planning Midfield Reset as Long Term Strategy Emerges

Manchester United’s recruitment thinking is beginning to sharpen, with clarity emerging around where the club believe their next decisive steps must be taken. According to  Sky Sports News information, Old Trafford powerbrokers are already looking beyond the noise of January and towards a defining summer in 2026, one centred firmly on elite central midfielders.

This is not about impulse buying or chasing headlines. It is about structure, profile and timing. United have explored the conditions of signing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba in January, Sky Sports News can reveal. Yet the sense throughout the industry is that this window was always more about reconnaissance than revolution.

Brighton, understandably, are reluctant sellers. They want to keep Baleba until at least the summer, when there is expected to be a market for central midfielders. That phrasing alone hints at confidence. Brighton believe demand will rise, prices will follow, and Baleba’s value will only strengthen.

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Carlos Baleba and Brighton’s Firm Stance

Baleba’s rise has been rapid and eye catching. From Douala to Lille, and then to Brighton in August 2023, his trajectory has felt almost pre ordained. Under Fabian Hurzeler’s guidance, the 2024/25 season elevated him into the elite prospect bracket.

“It’s an ambition [of mine] to be the best midfielder in the world. I just want to work hard, to take some advice, to take something from the midfielders. Not just in the Premier League, because I learned a lot from here,” Baleba said.

His self education is meticulous and revealing. “Rodri and others, but I try to take [lessons from] outside of the Premier League. Like Ligue 1, Vitinha or Joao Neves. In LaLiga, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Sergio] Busquets. I try to learn every day. I’m watching them on YouTube.”

Brighton see a player still developing, still absorbing, and still capable of scaling new levels. That explains why any January approach was destined to stall.

United’s Target List Signals Intent

Baleba is not the only name on United’s shortlist. He sits among a carefully curated group that includes Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Wolves’ Joao Gomes. Each offers something slightly different, but all fit the same conceptual framework, mobile, technically secure, tactically intelligent midfielders capable of controlling games.

Sky Sports News can also reveal United are looking at younger prospects such as Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Olympiakos’ Christos Mouzakitis. This suggests layered planning, elite starters supplemented by developmental talent, rather than short term fixes.

It is understood Man Utd’s priority in 2026 is signing at least one, maybe two, top central midfielders. Their focus remains on adding them in the summer, but Sky Sports News has already reported United may move for players this month if unique market opportunities arise.

Ruben Amorim’s Measured Public Line

Publicly, Ruben Amorim is striking a calm, almost deflective tone. With United travelling to Leeds on Sunday carrying significant absences, the manager has chosen stability over speculation.

“The transfer window is not going to change. We have no conversation in this moment to have any change in the squad,” Amorim said. “There’s the process. There’s an idea that is going to continue. We are near the places of Champions League, but we are also near eight teams behind us. So let’s focus on the next game.”

It is a pragmatic message, perhaps deliberately so, as injuries and AFCON absences stretch the squad. Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo remain sidelined, while Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazrouai are away on international duty.

Behind the scenes, however, the planning is unmistakable. United are also assessing forward options, even as Antoine Semenyo appears bound for Manchester City, with Jean Philippe Mateta and Yan Diomande being monitored closely.

Baleba himself summed up the emotional whirlwind of rapid progress. “When I see my name everywhere, I’m happy,” he said. “When I was a kid, it was a wish for my dad and my mum. It’s a wish for me.”

That sense of inevitability surrounds him now. The only question is when, not if, the next major step arrives.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

From a Manchester United supporter’s perspective, this report lands with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Excitement because, finally, there appears to be coherence. No more scattergun recruitment, no more panic buys that clog the wage bill and stall progress. Targeting profiles like Baleba, Wharton and Gomes suggests a club thinking about control, intensity and longevity in midfield, areas that have too often let United down.

But there is also concern. Waiting until 2026 feels risky. Fans have heard about long term plans before, only to see seasons drift away while rivals act decisively. With a threadbare squad and injuries piling up, the patience being asked of supporters is considerable.

Ruben Amorim’s words offer calm, but they also underline the fragility of the current position. Near the Champions League places, but also near eight teams behind, that is not the comfort zone United fans crave.

Baleba’s ambition to learn from Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets excites any football romantic. The worry is whether United can afford to watch from a distance while others move faster. This strategy might prove smart and sustainable, but it also places huge pressure on timing, execution and results in the interim.

For now, belief and scepticism coexist, just as they have too often at Old Trafford in recent years.