One Manchester United academy graduate had backed Carlos Baleba to become ‘unstoppable’ before his links to Old Trafford emerged this summer.
Manchester United began the summer transfer window strongly, landing Matheus Cunha from Wolves and promising defender Diego Leon.
Following lengthy negotiations, Bryan Mbeumo also joined the squad, with all three signings currently part of Ruben Amorim’s U.S. tour group.
The club is now close to finalising a deal for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško, which would complete a major revamp of the underwhelming attack at Old Trafford.
United remain active in the market and have reportedly opened talks with Brighton over a move for midfielder Carlos Baleba, who is said to be keen on joining the club.
Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2023 and has since made 61 appearances for the Seagulls in the Premier League.
United academy graduate backed Baleba to become unstoppable
Baleba’s talents became quickly obvious after he moved to England and his talents have not gone unnoticed by United academy graduate Danny Welbeck.
The now-Brighton forward was full of praise for the 21-year-old midfielder when speaking to BBC Radio Sussex in November last year. “He can be unstoppable,” the ex-United striker said.
“If he keeps up with that desire and passion, he can go right to the top. He’s got all of the attributes to be a world-beater.”
The interest from United, as well as several other big clubs, will be no surprise to Welbeck, who recognises Baleba’s talent and ability to improve even further.
Reports are suggesting that any deal for the Cameroon international would be extremely difficult this summer, with his price tag likely to be upwards of £80 million.
United want Baleba to be key part of rebuild
At the beginning of the summer window, it was briefed that Amorim was looking for an energetic option in midfield this summer. Baleba ticks that box perfectly and would add a lot of other attributes too.
United’s pre-season has been promising but the midfield is still an area which seems like it would cause some issues for the team next season.
Read More: Brighton release 25-word update on Carlos Baleba as Man Utd ‘make contact’ for £87m transfer
Signing someone like Baleba would solve those issues, and even if a deal for the Brighton star cannot be completed, it is clear that United are targeting the right kind of profile.
Welbeck clearly believes his teammate is destined for that step up, and United will be hoping that he can be a key part of a major rebuild at Old Trafford.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.