Manchester United continue to be linked with Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with ex-United player Quinton Fortune revealing that the Cameroon international has impressed some of the club's famous faces. However, there are concerns about the transfer fee the Seagulls star would command.
Legends impressed but fee questioned
Fortune told Premier Bet: "In terms of talent, I cannot touch Carlos Baleba. He is unbelievable. I’ve seen him." He added that the player has been a topic of discussion among former United players.
"I’m on the WhatsApp group with the other ex-players from Manchester United and we’ve all been speaking about him. Even Danny Welbeck, when he was at Brighton, was raving about him. There’s no doubt he is talented, but for that sort of money, he needs to already be at a higher level for Manchester United."
Comparisons to club icons
Fortune believes that to command a nine-figure fee, a player needs to have an immediate influence similar to icons such as Paul Scholes or Roy Keane. "He reminds me a little bit of Anderson, from Brazil, who played for Manchester United because he could beat his man in midfield and drive the team on, but forgive me. For £100m I want a player I can compare to Paul Scholes, Roy Keane or Nicky Butt."
He continued: "If you are going to spend that kind of money, and that’s not a problem, then you need to bring in a midfielder who is going to score or create more goals than Bruno Fernandes, or someone who is going to dominate games like Roy Keane. Is Carlos Baleba going to add another 15 to 20 goals a season to the team? If so then boom, there you go."
Transfer background and current status
Baleba was linked to Old Trafford 12 months ago, but Brighton demanded a fee in excess of £100m, which proved prohibitive. Brighton chairman Tony Bloom confirmed United's interest, and reports suggested the club could return for the 22-year-old.
The former Lille prospect, who is set to miss the start of the season with an ankle injury, was said to have broadly agreed personal terms with United last summer, but the club was only prepared to pay around £60m. Brighton are prepared to listen to offers this summer, but United have already added Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. After a difficult 2025/26 season, Baleba looks set to remain in Sussex for another year.
Baleba has made 92 Premier League appearances across three seasons, with all three of his goals coming in 2024/25. The 15-times capped international has two years remaining on his Brighton deal, with an option to extend by a further 12 months.
