Man Utd in dreamland with first of two mega midfield signings on at shock new price – Sources | OneFootball

Manchester United are the best placed club to sign their number one target for the holding midfield role with Liverpool and Tottenham both lagging behind, and the cost of doing business could be as much as £30m below initial expectations.

Man Utd have been handed major encouragement in their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with sources telling TEAMtalk that the south coast club are expected to soften their £100m-plus demands for the Cameroon international.

Brighton have so far referred suitors to the £115m fee they received from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023, believing another nine-figure sum would represent fair market value in the case of Baleba.

But insiders now believe a deal could be struck closer to an overall package worth around £70m (€80m, €94.5m).

Baleba is widely expected to leave the AMEX this summer, and despite Brighton being fully aware of the growing interest, the belief among clubs involved in the chase is that the Seagulls will not ultimately be able to command their initial £100m-plus price.

Manchester United remain the strongest pursuers, with the club working on plans to bring in two new midfield players following Casemiro’s confirmed departure via free agency and uncertainty surrounding Manuel Ugarte.

United regard Baleba as one of their key targets alongside Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson, but internally, the Brighton destroyer is viewed as their standout option for the more defensive-minded role.

At just 22, he is seen as the closest stylistic successor to Casemiro while still offering long-term value, and the club’s hierarchy believe he would slot naturally into the balance of their evolving midfield – particularly with Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence easing immediate pressure to overspend.

United first signalled their interest last summer, making their intentions clear both to Brighton and Baleba’s camp, and that position has not changed.

Sources indicate that United’s persistence, combined with the player’s profile and the realistic expectation of a reduced fee leaves them in a strong position heading into the summer.

Liverpool remain admirers of Baleba, having studied him closely during his time at Lille before his Premier League move, and although their interest persists, there is uncertainty over whether midfield is their top transfer priority.

Replacing Mohamed Salah is believed to be the more pressing issue at Anfield this summer.

Tottenham are also keeping track of developments, particularly with Yves Bissouma set to depart and the club yet to make a final determination on whether to secure Joao Palhinha permanently. His loan deal contains an option to buy worth €30m / £27m.

Spurs have monitored Baleba but have not yet moved decisively, leaving United in the strongest position as they continue to push ahead with their midfield rebuild.

In other news, a high profile star let go by Man Utd last summer now wishes to return to Old Trafford and re-establish himself as a regular starter, but while he reportedly thinks he’ll get that chance, he’s in for a rude awakening according to Fabrizio Romano.