Adam Wharton v Carlos Baleba: The stats behind Man Utd midfield targets’ direct battle in Crystal Palace v Brighton | OneFootball

Sunday’s match between Crystal Palace and Brighton finished as a goalless draw, but was there anything to learn from the involvement of two of Manchester United’s top midfield targets?

Man Utd want to sign two midfielders in 2026 and are currently working through a shortlist of options, which includes Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. While they aren’t the only two players under consideration – and Baleba has already struggled to make the most of an opportunity to impress at Old Trafford – the chance to see them directly against each other could help affirm United’s views on them.

But the fact the game between Palace and Brighton ended 0-0 necessitates a bit of deeper digging to see if anything can be learned about the two players.

So, how did Wharton and Baleba compare statistically in Sunday’s game?

Involvement

Both players started the game but didn’t finish it, with Wharton taken off after 65 minutes and Baleba taken off after 74 minutes.

Despite being on the pitch for the smaller amount of time, Wharton touched the ball more than Baleba (37 times compared to 31). That’s also despite Brighton being the team who finished the game with more possession.

Their action areas were similar; 21 of Wharton’s touches were in the middle third, with eight each in the defensive and attacking thirds. Baleba recorded 22 touches in the middle third, six in his defensive third and three in his attacking third. Neither player touched the ball in the opposition box.

Baleba made five ball recoveries, while Wharton only managed two.

On the flipside, Wharton carried the ball more (24 times as opposed to 20) – although Baleba was the only one of the pair to make a progressive carry (taking the ball at least 10 yards up the pitch from its furthest point in the last six passes).

Passing

The Brighton man was more efficient with his passing, completing 24 out of 26 passes attempted. In contrast, Wharton completed just 20 out of 30 passes attempted.

That said, three of Wharton’s passes were recognised as progressive passes (i.e. moving the ball at least 10 yards up the pitch from its furthest point in the last six passes, or into the box), compared to just one of Baleba’s. That can be explained by two of Wharton’s passes and one of Baleba’s being into the penalty area.

Furthermore, Wharton made two passes into the final third, whereas Baleba didn’t at all.

The total combined distance of Wharton’s passes (365 yards) was greater than Baleba’s (324 yards), which when converted into averages, indicates their subtly differing styles of recycling possession.

Arguably having the tidier game of the two on the ball, Baleba didn’t record any miscontrols, but Wharton did (just one).

Defensive

Defensive duties may well be the most interesting aspect to United, who specifically want a midfielder who can operate in their double pivot, potentially as a long-term successor to Casemiro.

Both Wharton and Baleba made one tackle and one clearance each, while Wharton made one interception (something Baleba wasn’t able to manage). Interestingly, Wharton’s tackle was on Baleba.

In terms of aerial duels, Wharton won one out of two and Baleba lost the only one he contended.

Both players committed one foul, with Baleba’s earning him a yellow card in the second half.

Attacking

As for any attacking contributions, as you might expect from a goalless draw, there wasn’t much doing.

Wharton had one shot, which missed the target, and Baleba didn’t attempt any.

However, Wharton did offer two shot-creating actions for his teammates, unlike Baleba.

Both players completed one successful take-on each, although Wharton was dispossessed twice compared to Baleba only being dispossessed once.

Player ratings

All in all, there wasn’t too much to separate the two players in a tight game, although Wharton edged it.

As for their player ratings on statistical websites, Wharton got 6.6/10 and Baleba got 6.1 from WhoScored.

But on FotMob, Baleba got the higher rating of 6.6, over Wharton’s 6.4.

Meanwhile, in the media, Sky Sports gave Wharton 7/10 and Baleba 6/10.

The Daily Mail gave both players 6/10.

And on the BBC Sport website, where the ratings are an average of user votes, Wharton came out at 6.12 and Baleba at 6.01.

What next for Wharton and Baleba?

Undoubtedly, both players will have better games in the future as they aim to reach new high points in their careers. But will either have Man Utd in their destiny?

Their high transfer values make January deals look difficult, especially if United become more oriented towards Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson or another alternative.

But Baleba and Wharton will still be under consideration in their own right. The latter will get his chance to play against United at the end of the month when the Red Devils visit Selhurst Park.

It might take more than just a game like that for United to make their decision, though, especially with how much money might be at stake.

The club’s transfer team will surely be receptive to as much information about all the midfielders on their radar as the season progresses. For now, they still have a lot of thinking to do.