Manchester United, Brighton Closing In On Deal For Baleba

Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion are closing in on a deal for midfielder Carlos Baleba.

United have made an offer of around £60million (€70m, $81m) plus £5m in add-ons which is felt to be below what Brighton would be seeking to sell.

Transfer pundit David Ornstein said amicable talks continue with all parties working towards finding an agreement for the Cameroon international to move to Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old is currently working his way back to fitness after an ankle ligament injury but the issue is not considered serious or expected to keep him out long-term.

Midfield has been an area of significant focus for United in the transfer market this summer.

Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have already arrived from Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively while a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson was also agreed before the club backed out over injury concerns surrounding the Brazil international’s knee.

They were also keen on Elliot Anderson before the England international opted to move to rivals Manchester City instead.

Should a move for Baleba progress he would join Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes as first-team options for head coach Michael Carrick.

Manuel Ugarte is currently sidelined with the knee injury he suffered during the World Cup with Uruguay while Mason Mount has also missed the final two games of pre-season.

Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2023 and has played 112 times for the south-coast club. Last season he made 35 appearances in total for the club, missing several due to his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations.