Manchester United Sign Carlos Baleba for £70m in Midfield Shake-Up
Manchester United have pushed their summer rebuild deeper into midfield, sealing a deal worth up to £70m (€81m) for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.
The Cameroon international becomes the third midfielder through the door at Old Trafford in this window, joining Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans in a sweeping overhaul of Erik ten Hag’s options in the centre of the pitch. United have targeted more energy and dynamism in that area; Baleba brings both, along with the kind of fee that underlines how central he is to their plans.
While United were tying up that major piece of business, attention elsewhere in Europe turned to a night that could reshape careers.
Parrott on the brink at Betis
In Spain, Troy Parrott stands on the edge of a new chapter. The Irish striker, fresh from his move to Real Betis from AZ Alkmaar last week, could make his La Liga debut tonight away to Valencia at the Mestalla, with kick-off at 8pm.
Betis are playing it up. The club have already pushed out two social media posts about him in the space of five minutes: one showing off his pristine number 19 shirt, another capturing a young fan holding a flag with the message, “what’s the craic Troy?” The hype has followed him to Seville.
Manuel Pellegrini has tried to keep the tone measured, but his words left the door open.
“Troy has not been working with us for a long time,” the Betis manager said. “He joined us only a day before the last game. But he has been working hard and he is on the list because he is ready to play.”
Ready to play, yes. Guaranteed to start? Not yet. The expectation is that Parrott will begin on the bench and wait for his moment, though a surprise start would be greeted warmly by Betis fans eager to see the Irishman up close.
Betis arrive in Valencia with confidence. They opened their league campaign with a win over Real Sociedad, sealed by a Rodrigo Riquelme goal, and head into the season as a Champions League club. That status has sharpened competition for places across the front line.
On the wings, Antony looks nailed on for one flank with Riquelme operating on the other. Through the middle, Colombia’s Cucho Hernández has the shirt, and with good reason: he hit 11 La Liga goals last season and has kept his place for tonight. That is the man Parrott must eventually dislodge.
It is a demanding challenge, but a far cry from life in the Championship with West Ham. This is the stage Parrott wanted when he chose to leave English football behind.
As Gavin Cooney has charted, that decision to step away from the English game has already reshaped his career. The move to the Eredivisie gave him space and a style of football that suited him. It also allowed him to escape the noise that once threatened to drown out his development.
“Trying to live up to the hype at such a young age, it was never going to happen that early because football isn’t so easy,” Parrott said in 2024. “For me it was more about growing up a bit and trying to block out the noise.”
Tonight, the noise will be different. La Liga, the Mestalla, the green and white of Betis, and a new number 19 waiting for his cue.
Whether he gets ten minutes or the full 90, this is where the next judgement on Troy Parrott begins.
Elsewhere in Europe
Celtic are also in action this evening, facing LASK in a Champions League qualifier. The Scottish champions hold a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, and Liam Scales starts the night on the bench as they look to finish the job.
In Seville, though, all eyes remain on one name on the Betis team sheet. Or perhaps, one name waiting just beneath it.
