Man Utd to ‘accept’ £26m for starter vs Leeds United as ‘priority’ transfer hinges on one condition

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·5 janvier 2026

Man Utd to ‘accept’ £26m for starter vs Leeds United as ‘priority’ transfer hinges on one condition

According to reports, Manchester United could still offload Manuel Ugarte this month, while they have been ‘set a price’ for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.

Ugarte has come into Man Utd’s starting XI for their previous four Premier League and he produced one of his better performances for the club in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United.

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This has proven to be former head coach Ruben Amorim’s final game at Man Utd, with it announced on Monday morning that the Premier League giants have sacked him following a fallout with club chief Jason Wilcox.

This follows Amorim’s explosive rant following the draw against Leeds United, with it also reported that he has felt aggrieved at a supposed lack of backing in this month’s transfer window.

In the summer, Man Utd spent around £230m to sign Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens, with these deals made possible by several high-profile exits.

Sesko has struggled, but the other three signings have made a positive impact this season.

Still, Man Utd are still well short in other areas and this is particularly the case in midfield, with the club needing to sign at least one new centre-midfielder this year.

To do this, United could look to raise funds through sales and Ugarte currently looks the most likely of their midfielders to move elsewhere.

Ugarte is attracting interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray, with a new report from Sabah claiming that a new defensive midfielder is a ‘priority’ for them.

It is also claimed that Man Utd would ‘accept a loan-to-buy deal worth 30 million euros (£26m), though this hinges on one condition.

The report explains: ‘The English giant is asking for a €30 million transfer fee for the player and has indicated that they would accept a loan deal with a mandatory purchase clause.

‘Galatasaray, unwilling to take on this cost before their Champions League situation is finalised, is waiting for the results of the Atletico Madrid and Manchester City matches.’

Regarding potential replacements, Brighton standout Baleba is among their options, though a fresh report from Spanish outlet Fichajes has disputed suggestions that his valuation has dropped as his ‘price is set’.

The report claims:

‘Brighton maintains that Carlos Baleba’s true value is over £100 million and rejects any narrative suggesting a potential price reduction. The club believes his profile is unique in the current market and that there are no comparable alternatives with the same immediate impact. ‘The footballer’s slight dip in performance at certain points during the season has led some suitors to speculate on figures closer to 70 or 80 million, but Brighton have responded publicly and privately that this scenario does not exist.’