Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with a new offer of around £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons on the table. The Red Devils have been pursuing the Cameroon international for over a year, after an initial bid failed last summer.
Brighton Manager Admits Transfer Speculation Affected Baleba
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler previously admitted that Baleba had been "affected by the noise" surrounding a potential move to United last season. After the failed bid, Hurzeler benched the midfielder against Bournemouth, saying Baleba did not have "the face we want to see" in preparation for the game.
Speaking after his side's 2-1 loss, Hurzeler said: "I think it's normal for a young player when the media creates the noise around him. It's not easy for this player to handle it. Therefore we need to give him the time and support so he comes back to his best performance. But he's a young player and I think that's something we have to accept, that young players don't always have the face we want to see."
Baleba responded in December, telling Sky Sports: "I don't think it affected me negatively, but I had a lot of pressure on me. When I started this season, I wanted to show the same performances as last season."
Failed Efforts Under Ruben Amorim
United's desire to land Baleba dates back to when Ruben Amorim was still in charge at Old Trafford. The Portuguese manager reportedly made Baleba his No. 1 target but failed to get Brighton to budge on their £100 million valuation.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom told The Argus last October: "I don't think Baleba was a saga. There was interest from Manchester United, and we said that he wasn't available this summer and they went away."
New Man Utd Bid and Current Status
United have now made an offer of around £60m plus £5m in add-ons, which is still below Brighton's valuation, according to The Athletic. Negotiations will continue as both clubs work towards an agreement.
The 22-year-old is currently sidelined with an ankle ligament injury, but the issue is not expected to keep him out long-term. If the deal goes through, Baleba would join midfield options Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes under manager Michael Carrick.
