Manchester United have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign Carlos Baleba, taking another major step in Michael Carrick’s attempt to rebuild the centre of his team.
The agreement is worth an initial £65 million, with another £5 million potentially due in add-ons, while Brighton have also negotiated a sell-on clause. Baleba is expected to undergo a medical in Manchester before the transfer can be formally completed.
That distinction matters: this is an agreed transfer rather than an officially completed signing at the time of writing.
If the remaining formalities are passed, the 22-year-old Cameroon international will become United’s third major midfield addition of the summer after Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Supporters can follow the club’s upcoming games, results and available squad information through the Manchester United team.
But Baleba’s arrival would represent more than another new name.
United have spent years trying to construct a midfield capable of combining physical power, ball recovery, progression and tactical control. Carrick now appears to be building one around younger players who can sustain those demands rather than relying on short-term solutions.
Why Manchester United Want Carlos Baleba?
The attraction starts with Baleba’s profile.
He is primarily a defensive or central midfielder, but he does not play the position as a static holding player. His game is built around covering ground, competing for loose balls, breaking up attacks and carrying possession forward after turnovers.
That combination is valuable for a United side that has regularly struggled when matches become stretched.
A midfielder can be technically secure in possession and still leave his defence exposed if he cannot recover quickly when the ball is lost.
Baleba gives United something different.
He has the physical capacity to defend large areas, the aggression to engage opponents and enough technical ability to help move possession away from pressure.
CAF described him as a midfielder capable of winning duels, intercepting passes, recovering possession and helping launch attacks for Cameroon.
Those are precisely the qualities United have often lacked in combination.
Baleba Is a Genuine Ball-Winning Presence
One of the clearest indicators of Baleba’s defensive value came during his development at Brighton.
Premier League analysis of the 2024/25 campaign showed him recording 36 interceptions, second among midfielders at the time despite having fewer starts than several of the players around him.
Among midfielders with at least 15 starts, he also ranked fourth for both duels won and ball recoveries per 90 minutes.
Those numbers help explain his appeal.
Baleba does not merely position himself in front of the defence waiting for the game to come towards him.
He actively disrupts attacks.
That can allow United to defend further away from their own penalty area and recover possession early enough to attack before the opposition has reorganised.
For Carrick, whose strongest United sides will need to control matches rather than simply survive them, that could become extremely important.
Why the Deal Makes Sense After Tielemans and Andrey Santos?
Baleba should not be viewed in isolation.
United have already recruited Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea this summer.
The Guardian reports that Carrick sees Santos and Baleba as options for the deeper midfield role, while Tielemans is more naturally suited to operating as a No. 8. Kobbie Mainoo provides another option in that area, with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount offering more advanced qualities.
That gives Carrick something United have often lacked:
different midfield combinations for different matches.
Against an opponent that threatens heavily in transition, Baleba’s athleticism and defensive coverage could become especially valuable.
Against a deeper defensive block, Carrick could pair him with a midfielder whose passing and positioning are more focused on breaking down compact opposition.
And during periods of fixture congestion, United would no longer be relying on the same two or three midfielders to carry the entire workload.
Where Could Carlos Baleba Play for Manchester United?
His most obvious role is at the base of midfield.
Baleba can operate as a No. 6, screening the defence while providing the athleticism needed to close spaces around him.
But describing him purely as a holding midfielder would be too restrictive.
He is comfortable moving forward with possession and has shown that he can carry the ball through midfield when space opens.
That makes him potentially useful in a double pivot as well.
Carrick could, for example, use Baleba alongside a more progressive passer rather than asking one midfielder to provide every aspect of build-up, ball recovery and defensive protection.
The important point is balance.
United do not necessarily need Baleba to become the player who produces the final pass.
They need him to help create the conditions in which their more attacking players can receive possession without the entire midfield structure becoming vulnerable.
What Baleba Could Give Bruno Fernandes?
That could have a direct effect on Bruno Fernandes.
United have frequently depended on Fernandes for creativity while simultaneously asking him to contribute significant defensive work and help move possession through midfield.
A stronger defensive platform could give their captain greater freedom.
If Baleba and another central midfielder can consistently protect transitions and regain possession, Fernandes should be able to spend more time operating in areas where his passing and chance creation are most dangerous.
This is one of the wider benefits of strengthening the No. 6 position.
The transfer is not only about improving the player occupying that role.
It can improve the conditions around everyone else.
Baleba Already Knows the Premier League
United are also reducing adaptation risk.
Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in August 2023, signing a five-year contract, and has since built substantial experience in English football. Brighton’s player profile notes that he was named the club’s Young Player of the Season for 2024/25.
Reuters reports that he has made 112 appearances for Brighton and played 31 league matches last season.
That experience matters.
A midfielder arriving from another league may need time to adjust to the speed at which Premier League transitions develop.
Baleba has already gone through that process.
He knows how quickly possession can change, how aggressively opponents press and how difficult it is to defend large central spaces against elite Premier League attackers.
Readers can follow his current club context through the Brighton team.
His Brighton Development Has Not Been Completely Linear
It is also important not to present Baleba as a flawless midfielder.
His development at Brighton has included periods of inconsistency.
During part of the 2025/26 campaign, his influence dropped and Brighton had to be patient while he worked his way back towards his strongest level.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler said in May that Baleba had needed time and the right environment before improving again, adding that the midfielder had recently made a noticeable step forward.
That context is important when assessing the transfer.
United are buying a highly talented 22-year-old midfielder, not a finished product with every weakness already removed.
Carrick and his coaching staff will still have development work to do.
The Ankle Injury Needs to Be Considered
Baleba is also recovering from an ankle ligament injury suffered during pre-season.
Reuters reports that the problem is not expected to keep him out for an extended period, but his medical will obviously be important before the transfer is finalised.
United therefore should not necessarily expect him to walk immediately into the starting XI and play every minute.
That does not make the transfer less logical.
The club are signing him for considerably more than the opening weeks of the season.
At 22, Baleba could potentially become part of United’s midfield structure for several years if his development continues.
Why Brighton Were Willing to Sell Now?
The fee also illustrates how significantly the situation has changed.
United were interested in Baleba previously, but Brighton’s valuation was reportedly much higher.
The Guardian reported that the Seagulls had effectively priced United out of a move when Baleba was valued around £115 million. His less consistent 2025/26 campaign and current injury altered the negotiating landscape.
An agreement potentially reaching £70m still represents major money.
But from United’s perspective, it is substantially different from meeting a valuation above £100m.
Brighton, meanwhile, secure another significant return on a player recruited through the club’s well-established development model.
How Baleba Compares With United’s Other Midfielders?
The most interesting part of the move may be how Carrick combines his options.
Baleba provides ball-winning, athleticism and defensive coverage.
Andrey Santos offers another young option capable of playing from deeper midfield.
Tielemans brings experience, passing quality and the ability to operate higher as a No. 8.
Mainoo provides press resistance and technical control.
Bruno Fernandes remains the team’s primary creative influence.
Those qualities overlap in places, but they are not identical.
That is useful.
A good midfield squad does not require five versions of the same player.
It requires enough complementary qualities that the manager can construct the right balance for different opponents.
United Are Building for a Much Heavier Season
Squad depth will matter more this season than it did during Carrick’s initial period in charge.
When Carrick took over last season, United had already been eliminated from the domestic cups and were not involved in European competition. He therefore had only 17 matches to navigate on his way to a third-place Premier League finish.
The 2026/27 campaign is completely different.
United have the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup to manage.
That makes the midfield rebuild easier to understand.
Supporters can track the domestic programme through the Premier League fixtures as the season progresses.
Carrick cannot expect Tielemans, Fernandes, Mainoo or any other midfielder to play at maximum intensity across every competition.
Adding another high-level option is therefore not excessive depth.
It may be necessary.
Could Baleba Become United’s Long-Term No. 6?
Potentially.
That may ultimately be the most important part of the transfer.
Manchester United have spent years searching for sustainable answers in central midfield.
Baleba is young enough to improve but experienced enough that he should not need years before becoming useful.
His defensive activity, physical power and ability to move possession forward give him the foundation of a modern Premier League No. 6.
But development will determine how high his ceiling becomes.
To become an elite player in that position, he will need to keep improving his decision-making, positional discipline and consistency in possession.
The raw materials are already there.
What the Deal Means for Michael Carrick?
Baleba’s arrival would also increase expectations around Carrick.
United’s manager can no longer argue that central midfield has been ignored.
Tielemans, Santos and Baleba represent a substantial investment in one area of the squad.
Carrick now has to turn those individual qualities into a functioning unit.
That means deciding which combinations give United the right balance, how aggressively the midfield should press and who assumes responsibility during the build-up phase.
The Premier League will provide the real test.
A collection of talented midfielders means little if United still struggle to control matches when opponents increase the tempo.
Why Baleba Could Be One of United’s Most Important Signings?
Some transfers are designed to add goals.
Others are intended to solve structural problems.
Baleba belongs much closer to the second category.
United already have attacking players capable of deciding matches. What they have repeatedly needed is a midfield capable of giving those attackers a stable platform while preventing opponents from moving too easily through the centre.
Baleba’s athleticism and defensive instincts could help provide that.
If Carrick can combine him effectively with United’s other new midfielders, the club should become harder to counterattack against and better equipped to sustain pressure after losing possession.
Those improvements may not always appear directly in goals and assists.
They can still decide matches.
A Significant Piece of Manchester United’s Rebuild
Manchester United’s agreement for Carlos Baleba looks increasingly like part of a deliberate midfield overhaul rather than another isolated transfer.
Tielemans adds experience and control.
Santos adds youth and competition.
Baleba potentially adds the defensive power and athletic range that connects the unit.
The deal is not complete until the medical and final transfer formalities are successfully concluded, but United and Brighton have reached agreement on the financial package.
If everything proceeds as expected, Carrick will enter the new campaign with a midfield considerably different from the one he inherited.
The real question will no longer be whether Manchester United have invested in their midfield.
It will be how effectively Carrick can turn that investment into control, consistency and results.
