Manchester United are weighing up a £50 million offer for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to reports. The 22-year-old Cameroonian has been on the club's radar for nearly a year, and personal terms were broadly agreed during their initial pursuit.
United's interest in Baleba had been put on hold after spending over £200 million on Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. However, with Casemiro set to leave at the end of the season and Manuel Ugarte failing to fully convince, the club appears ready to reignite their pursuit.
The Athletic understands that United may open their approach with a £50m bid. This figure is significantly lower than Brighton's reported asking price of £100m, similar to the fee Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023. United were previously prepared to go up to £75m, but now seem reluctant to exceed £50m.
Baleba has had a mixed season, being substituted on 15 occasions by Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler and completing 90 minutes only three times. However, he impressed in Brighton's 3-0 win over Chelsea and was a key figure for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, where they reached the quarter-finals.
United are also targeting two central midfield signings to replace Casemiro, with a third possible if Ugarte leaves. The club has been linked with Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, and Newcastle United duo Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. The final decision may depend on who is in charge next season, with interim manager Michael Carrick's future still uncertain.
