Wayne Rooney Backs Carlos Baleba to Revitalize Manchester United's Midfield
Wayne Rooney is convinced Carlos Baleba can jolt Manchester United’s midfield back to life – and he is having none of the talk that the Brighton man went missing last season.
United are closing in on a deal worth up to £70 million for the 22-year-old, who is set to become their third midfield arrival of the summer after Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. It is a heavy outlay, a statement that the heart of the team is being ripped up and rebuilt.
Rooney, speaking on the Stick to United with Wayne Rooney podcast on Disney+, did not bother to hide his enthusiasm.
“I really like him, I think he's a really good signing,” United’s all-time leading scorer said. “We need another midfield player with a bit of physicality and I know he's not six-foot-four or whatever but he covers the ground really well, he's aggressive, he takes the ball, and is what we need. He's a very good player who will improve the team massively.”
United’s need was laid bare on Saturday. Tielemans and Santos both started their Premier League debuts in a flat 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull, a performance that only underlined how much work remains in Erik ten Hag’s engine room.
Rooney backs Baleba’s mentality
Baleba’s name has hovered around Old Trafford for a year. United showed interest last season but Brighton reportedly slapped a £100m price tag on the Cameroon midfielder, effectively shutting down any move.
What followed on the south coast was a stuttering campaign. Baleba started only 23 league games, failed to score and drew criticism, with some suggesting he had gone “missing” after the Old Trafford switch collapsed.
Rooney rejects that narrative outright.
“I don't think he went missing,” he said. “The chance doesn't come around that often to play for Manchester United, so you don't know what effect that has.
“There's no denying his ability as a player. I think he is a top player.”
For Rooney, the psychological punch of seeing a move to United fall away matters. The scrutiny around a young midfielder’s form after that kind of disappointment rarely does him any favours, but the former captain is adamant the talent remains intact.
A new-look midfield, real pressure
United’s summer has been built around reshaping the centre of the pitch. Casemiro, once the stabilising force, has gone. Manuel Ugarte, signed to bring bite and control, then suffered a serious knee injury. Plans were ripped up. The club had to pivot.
That has left Tielemans, Santos and now Baleba tasked with dragging United’s midfield into a new era, alongside the rapidly emerging Kobbie Mainoo.
“It will be interesting with Tielemans, Santos and Mainoo but this is what it should be. Competition for places. If you don't play well, you don't play,” Rooney said.
It is a simple message, but a ruthless one. United’s midfield has been too easy to predict, too easy to play through. Baleba, with his aggression, range and willingness to take the ball in tight areas, is being brought in to change that.
The price tag is huge. The expectations will be bigger. Rooney is convinced Baleba can handle both. Now the question hangs over Old Trafford: can this rebuilt midfield finally give United the control they have been chasing for years?
