Man United keen on signing Brighton star Carlos Baleba

Manchester United are keen on signing Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, who is eager to join the club on a permanent transfer this summer, with personal terms expected to be straightforward, according to The Athletic.

The 21-year-old has been linked with Ruben Amorim’s side since last week, and have now reportedly initiated contact with the club and the player’s representatives to facilitate a move to Old Trafford.

However, Brighton are said to be reluctant to sell, especially not this summer, as the Seagulls remain resolute to retain the Cameroonian international even beyond 2026, with his contract expiring in 2028.

Meanwhile, reports suggest Brighton have placed a valuation exceeding £100 million on their prized asset, aligning him with former midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who joined Chelsea for just over that amount.

Several current United stars have reportedly reached out to the 21-year-old to discuss a potential move to Old Trafford, though Amorim’s side are unlikely to submit an official bid unless they view a transfer as feasible.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has played down rumours of a potential exit for the exciting midfield dynamo this summer, saying he does not fear losing the player.

The German manager, when asked if he is worried about losing key members of his first-team squad, told the Monday Night Club: “No chance. I don’t feel fear.

“I’m not afraid of anything because the only thing we can do is be the best version we can be every day, like work as hard as we can.

“All the other things we can’t influence, so we really have to focus on us.

“For sure, we can’t spend the money like the big teams but one of our biggest values is togetherness. And if you stay together, if we try to push our limits and increase the boundaries, then I’m sure we can compete with the big teams.

Hurzeler continued: “It’s not easy, but we proved last season that we are a very competitive team.

“Without Joao Pedro, for sure, he was an unbelievable player. But we can’t replace him with one player, but we can replace him as a team. And that’s our focus.

“We as a club always find solutions and I’m sure in the future we will find solutions. That’s our model, we have to accept it,” the Brighton boss added.

“I think that as a club we have proved we are not only selling big players. We have had offers for other players – big offers for [Kaoru] Mitoma and other players. We proved that we are not selling every player.

“Of course there were some big players who left the club, but there are new players that are coming into the club. With the togetherness we have, with the team chemistry we have, we can compete with the big teams, and we can compete with teams who might be individually better than us.”

United have adopted a pragmatic approach to their transfer dealings this summer, addressing critical squad weaknesses as the manager rebuilds following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, where the club finished 15th in the Premier League—their worst season in years.

The Red Devils have secured three pivotal attacking signings—Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, and the latest addition, Benjamin Sesko from German giants RB Leipzig—to revitalize their underperforming striker department, which managed just seven Premier League goals last season.

Manchester United now appear to be shifting their focus toward strengthening their “defensive” midfield, potentially targeting Beleba to provide a first line of shield for the backline ahead of the new season.

However, no concrete agreements have been reached yet, and the outcome remains uncertain as the transfer Deadline Day looms.