Carlos Baleba transfer battle erupts as Man Utd make final decision

Manchester United have reportedly decided against matching Brighton & Hove Albion’s €115 million valuation of Carlos Baleba.

The Red Devils agreed personal terms with the Cameroon international last summer, however they walked away from negotiations over a blockbuster deal due to Brighton’s excessive transfer demands.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side were unwilling to lower their asking price for the 21-year-old and Baleba was forced to remain at the AMEX Stadium, despite his desire to complete a move to the 13-time Premier League champions.

However, the Brighton star has endured a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign and Man Utd officials believe his form doesn’t justify his €115m price tag.

That is according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Man Utd have stepped back from their pursuit of Baleba’s signature.

He remains one of their midfield targets, alongside the likes of Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, however Ruben Amorim’s side aren’t willing to make him their most expensive signing in history.

Despite this, the Brighton hierarchy are reportedly expecting to receive fresh enquiries for Baleba during the January transfer window, although they have no intention of reducing their valuation.

TEAMtalk report that Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have also made checks on Baleba’s situation at Brighton, although it remains to be seen if they are ready to rival Man Utd for his signature.

In any case, it’s believed that Baleba is unlikely to leave Brighton in January, especially if they refuse to accept an offer lower than €115m.

Man Utd transfer update

With a January move for Baleba now incredibly unlikely, Man Utd will be forced to pursue an alternative target if they want to bolster the options available to Amorim this month.

However, it has been suggested that INEOS could delay the signing of a new midfielder until the 2026 summer transfer window due to the inflated cost usually associated with a mid-season deal.

The Red Devils are also interested in signing a new striker and they are expected to land a replacement for Joshua Zirkzee if the Dutchman departs for AS Roma before the end of the month.

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