Man United 'withdraw' from pursuit of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba

Manchester United have reportedly withdrawn from their pursuit of signing Brighton midfielder Carlos Beleba this summer, according to Sky Sports.

United have been highly active in the transfer market to overhaul their squad after a dismal performance in the Premier League—marking the club’s worst campaign in over three decades—finishing 15th in the 2024/25 season.

Ruben Amorim’s United remain keen on the 21-year-old midfield dynamo, but Brighton have firmly resisted any sale, with head coach Fabian Hurzeler expressing strong confidence earlier today that Carlos Baleba will stay..

Hurzeler’s comment may have influenced United’s decision to explore other potential targets to strengthen their midfield, while ceasing their pursuit of the Cameroonian international – at least for this summer transfer.

Brighton have not set an official price tag on the talented midfielder, though reports suggest he could command a fee around £120 million, exceeding the amount Chelsea paid Brighton for Moisés Caicedo in 2023.

The Red Devils have spent over £200 million on incomings, but have failed to sell players to make up for their spending this summer.

According to talkSPORT and David Ornstein of The Athletic, United are ready to abandon their pursuit of the midfielder. While they remain interested in Carlos Baleba, they are unlikely to make a formal approach to Brighton.

While this news may uplift Brighton fans, reports indicate that Baleba remains eager for the move and is expected to continue pursuing it, even if it doesn’t materialize this summer.

Furthermore, Hurzeler’s optimistic comment about Baleba staying at the Amex Stadium for the upcoming season adds to the positive sentiment, especially after United reportedly faced a setback in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon’s Morten Hjulmand, who was considered a backup option to Baleba.

Reports in Portugal claimed Hjulmand, once a favourite of Amorim’s during his time in the Portuguese capital, was valued at around £50 million.

However, it has now been reported that acquiring the 26-year-old Danish international this summer will be extremely challenging, due to the expiration of his release clause and Sporting’s reluctance to sell another first-team star during this window.

According to Record, the £68 million (€80m) release clause in the midfielder’s contract expired on June 15, and Sporting, still recovering from the disputed sale of star striker Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal, have decided to block any further departures.