Manchester United Near £65m Deal for Carlos Baleba as Carrick Revamps Midfield
Manchester United have struck an agreement worth an initial £65m for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with the 22-year-old due in Manchester this weekend for a medical.
If all goes to plan, Baleba will become the third new midfielder through the door in this window under Michael Carrick, and the most expensive of the lot. The Brighton man, a specialist No 6, is set to join Youri Tielemans, signed as a No 8, and Andrey Santos, another holding option.
United’s spending on the midfield revamp is eye-catching. Tielemans arrived for £35m. Santos cost an initial £48m, with a possible £2m in add-ons. Even before a potential extra £5m in bonuses for Baleba, the Brighton player sits at the top of the club’s summer outlay and would push the total spend to £148m.
Inside Old Trafford, there is quiet satisfaction. United tried and failed to land the Cameroon midfielder last summer, when Brighton were holding out for a figure closer to the £115m they banked from Chelsea for Moisés Caicedo in 2023. This time, Carrick looks to have his midfield enforcer at a price the club view as strong business both competitively and financially.
Michael Carrick's Vision
Carrick has been clear for weeks about where he believes games are won and lost. Speaking before the agreement was reached, he underlined how central the engine room is to his plans.
“I think it gives you the foundation of the team, you know,” he said. “I think the foundation of the team is important to be consistent, to be consistent through one game from start to finish, to be consistent over a period of time.
“You need a solid foundation through the middle of the team and trying and putting it together and getting that balance. But certainly, I think if you look at all the top teams over the years, all the great teams over the years, the spine of the team is really strong, you know.
“So we’re conscious of that, and I think we’ve got a good spine of the team right now. We can keep improving as we go in different ways and coaching and helping the boys and developing them, and I think we’re in a good place.”
Baleba is being brought in to harden that spine. A natural No 6, he offers the positional discipline and physical presence Carrick has craved at the base of midfield, while Tielemans brings passing range and creativity and Santos adds depth and competition in the holding role.
United have paid heavily to reshape the heart of their side. Now the question is simple: will this rebuilt midfield give Carrick the platform he insists separates the good teams from the great ones?
