Tony Cascarino believes Carlos Baleba can give Manchester United the ability to get around the pitch that their teams displayed under Sir Alex Ferguson.
United have agreed to sign the Cameroon international for £65million and £5million in add-ons after increasing their initial offer by £5million. The deal is understood to have delighted the club, with sources saying Brighton's stance during last summer's transfer window was that they wanted 'more than Moises Caicedo was sold for' to Chelsea, which was a British record £115million.
Five-year deal agreed
The 22-year-old is due to sign a five-year contract. Cascarino believes Baleba will bring energy to Michael Carrick's side.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, the former Premier League striker said: "He can get round the pitch, high tempo, pressing, closing down, whatever way you want to look at it."
"I played against numerous Manchester United teams. They didn't let you breathe. You went to Old Trafford, you had a tin hat on, and that was basically so you wouldn't get battered, because Manchester United were not only great technically; they had a great mentality, and they could fight."
Concerns after Hull defeat
Cascarino played nine times against United, first with Millwall in 1989, then for Aston Villa and latterly Chelsea. He won just once, but never at Old Trafford, and lost the 1994 FA Cup final 4-0.
The player-turned-pundit said of United's 2-0 defeat to Hull: "I was amazed how many Manchester United players didn't look fit," adding: "I mean, the two midfield boys, [Youri] Tielemans and Andrey Santos, were really off the pace."
"I normally use this as a bit of a joke, but when I say someone's 'out standing', like Bruno Fernandes, yesterday was 'out standing'. The problem is everyone else was 'out running' - he wasn't doing anything."
Cascarino added: "Bruno Fernandes is a player that I've always felt, you can see there's so much quality there. But when he goes missing, he really goes missing."
"They were awful. I mean, there's no other phrase for it. There's no wrapping it up. I mean, I'm looking at the paper today, and there's, you know, I've seen the word pulverised and demolished."
"Man United fans have had a real reality check, and I'm sure Michael Carrick will turn it around. They'll get players back. But that was something really to be concerned about."
