Man United prepare mega bid for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, also eye a Crystal Palace midfielder: Report

Just when it seemed like Manchester United were not interested in pursuing a mega bid for Carlos Baleba, a major media house in England has claimed that Ruben Amorim’s team is ready to make a U-turn, which could lead to a mega bid in excess of £100m for the 21-year-old Brighton midfielder.

United have spent over £2000m this transfer window on top players like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, but they are still in need of a solid defensive midfielder, who can not only break down the play, but is also good at running with the ball and closing down spaces.

Man United to return with new bid for Baleba

Baleba, who plays for the Cameroon national team, was United’s top priority, but Brighton’s demand of at least £100m for the midfielder forced Man Utd to look elsewhere.  They tried looking at VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana and Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, but the drab 1-1 draw against Fulham this past weekend has forced Amorim to demand the signing of Baleba, as per The Independent in the UK.

Besides Baleba, United also want a deep-lying playmaker and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is someone they prefer. However, the club has failed to land either of them so far.

As per The Independent, United are ready to dish out £120m Baleba from Brighton. But it won’t be easy as Brighton has a contract with Baleba till 2028. They sold Moises Caicedo to Chelsea in 2023 for £115m and would be looking to make a much bigger profit with Baleba’s sale.

Also, United are planning to wrap up Wharton’s purchase as well, which would severely compromise their budget, unless they manage to offload players like Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho.

Meanwhile, United are currently 16th in the Premier League table after two games and just one point. Their next match is against Grimsby Town in the second round of the League Cup on Wednesday.

United face Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.