Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton, but an injury will delay his start to life at Old Trafford if the deal goes through.
United initially made a move for the Cameroon international last summer but shelved their interest due to Brighton's huge asking price – thought to be in excess of £100million. He has remained on the club's radar during their midfield rebuild this summer and has now agreed terms over a five-year deal to take him to Manchester.
As a result of his form dipping last season, Brighton's asking price has dropped considerably, with United's latest offer worth around £60m plus £5m in add-ons.
Injury timeline and games missed
Baleba returned for pre-season training in July but picked up an ankle ligament injury that ruled him out of a friendly match against Strasbourg. He subsequently missed the Seagulls' games against Roma and Bologna. It was reported last month that the injury left him a major doubt for the start of the new Premier League season, which gets underway this weekend. Brighton were, however, hopeful the problem was not a long-term one.
The Daily Mail reports Baleba is expected to return to fitness towards the end of September. That timeline could delay any possible United debut until October, given the three-week international break which begins on Monday 21 September, ending on Tuesday 6 October.
Should that timeline be accurate, Baleba would be set to miss United's opening five games of the new Premier League season against Hull City, Ipswich Town, Everton, Manchester City and Fulham. He would also miss United's first match back in the Champions League, which will take place on 8, 9, or 10 September. Baleba would also sit out of United's Carabao Cup third round tie against an opponent to be determined.
Baleba could therefore be in line to make his debut at home to Tottenham on 10 October.
Why Baleba's form dipped last season
Baleba enjoyed a superb 2024-25 campaign at the AMEX, but following United's interest in his services last summer, his form noticeably dipped last term, starting just 23 of their 38 league matches. Speaking last season, Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler admitted that United's failed move to sign Baleba had an impact on the midfielder's performances.
'For sure, when a young boy reads there is interest from Manchester United with a big, big offer, it might affect him deep, deep [down],' Hurzeler said. 'That's also part of the development to understand that when you play well, there comes a big offer, there comes a big club who wants to have him.
'But then to keep pushing, to be humble, stay here in Brighton, and try to make the next step with the team and that's something we have to keep on working with him and therefore I can't give you a clear answer if it's really affected him or not.
'But for sure, he's a young boy and we need to understand he's not a machine that if you click on then he always runs and off then he stops. We need to understand his feelings, his emotions, where he comes from, and that's our responsibility.'
Should the deal go through, Baleba will become United's third midfield signing of the summer alongside Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
