Manchester United have reportedly made some advancements in their long pursuit of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.
The 22-year-old midfielder has a contract with Brighton running to 2028, meaning that they are in no rush to cash in on him just yet, so if Man United want him, there may not be a way around the monstrous fee.
It is no secret that Man United have been after a new midfielder for a while now. Since Bruno Fernandes joined the club, United have only signed five midfielders in six years, with three of them no longer playing for the club and one being Casemiro, who may be departing this summer.
Fans are not too convinced by the abilities of Manuel Ugarte, and every manager that has coached Kobbie Mainoo is seeminly adamant that he cannot play as a holding midfielder.
Therefore, with those two being the only other current options to replace an ageing Casemiro, a new holding midfielder is by far the most crucial purchase to bolster the squad.
Updates on the pursuit of Baleba
According to The Sun, United are becoming more optimistic about securing the signature of the Cameroon international.
It is also reported that INEOS remains opposed to spending this January, even if it were on a cheaper alternative to their top targets, which increases the chances of United going all out for Baleba this summer.
The midfielder was valued at around £80-100 million in August last season; however, it is believed that Baleba’s ‘stocks’ may have taken a dive recently due to his poor first half of the season.
This is not the first time that a midfielder has left Brighton for a large sum of money to join a big club. Alexis MacAllister left to join Liverpool for £55m, and Moises Caicedo left the same summer to join Chelsea for £115m.
Both have turned out to be huge successes for their respective clubs, providing further reason for Man United to favour Baleba over other options.
Is Baleba the perfect fit?
Carlos Baleba is a very suitable profile of a player for the role, a more defensive-minded midfielder who is brilliant at breaking up play, yet also being able to drive with the ball on the break and finishing off his runs with quality decision making.
However, he is not the only big-money midfielder on United’s list this summer, with Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson both options, and they will cost roughly the same.
On the other hand, out of the three players mentioned, Carlos Baleba is certainly the most similar style of player to Casemiro, and if that is the type of player that Man United want, then he will surely be the man they get.
Read more: “I need to…” – Carlos Baleba makes surprise admission about Manchester United transfer links
Baleba’s form has dropped quite significantly this season, potentially due to the noise surrounding him last summer, when he looked very close to becoming a United player.
The Cameroonian has been substituted at halftime in seven matches this season, both for Brighton and for his national team, raising further doubts about whether he is the correct signing.
This could potentially go in Man United’s favour; however, as his performances lately fail to justify the £100m price tag, the Red Devils could snatch him up for much cheaper, making him the right man to solve United’s dire midfield issues.
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