Just when Manchester United supporters were starting to panic, the transfer news they were hoping for emerged.
A matter of days after renewed interest was first floated, Carlos Baleba’s arrival appears impending to complete the club’s midfield rebuild and satisfy Michael Carrick soon after he called for more summer reinforcements.
United and Brighton & Hove Albion have settled upon an initial sum of $88.7 million (£65 million at the time of the agreement) with a further $6.8 million available in add-ons, per The Athletic. A medical is scheduled for Saturday with personal terms between Baleba and United thought to have already been verbally agreed. All that remains is the official signature on a five-year contract.
The Red Devils had signed Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos from Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Chelsea, respectively, to kick-start the process, mitigating Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s significant knee injury.
However, Carrick will now feel as if the right balance of midfield profiles has been struck with the addition of Baleba, whose dwindling stock over the past 12 months means they‘ve been able to strike a discount. The 22-year-old had previously been valued at $135 million by the Seagulls amid interest from the Red Devils.
Here’s what United’s strongest midfield looks like with Baleba in the mix.
Man Utd’s Strongest Midfield With Carlos Baleba
There’s unlikely to be any drastic systematic change from Carrick at the start of his first full season in charge. His use of a 4-2-3-1, which allowed Bruno Fernandes to operate as close to United’s frontman as he desired, maximized the Portuguese as a playmaker and helped him to the Premier League‘s single-season assist record.
Fernandes assisted 13 times in the 17 league outings Carrick oversaw last season to take his tally to 21, beyond the joint-record set by Thierry Henry and matched by Kevin De Bruyne.
Despite a relatively quiet World Cup and preseason, expect Fernandes to retain his place in the No. 10 role. His freakish ability to avoid fitness setbacks means he will likely start most Premier League and Champions League outings too.
There’s suddenly fierce competition for the two spots in Carrick’s pivot. Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo were barely offered respite down the stretch last term, but the latter has a fight on his hands to pry minutes away from United’s trio of new signings.
In Youri Tielemans, they’ve acquired an outstanding technician who’ll offer serenity in the build-up phase and support Fernandes in the creative department. The Belgian boasts the necessary tools to prise open deep-lying defenses.
Some may argue that Andrey Santos is slightly better rounded than Baleba, but the 22-year-old’s outstanding mobility may render him the right option alongside Tielemans, who is far from an adept recovery defender.
Carlos Baleba supplies the ball-carrying that Tielemans lacks, too. While Santos may be the ’safer’ midfield option, especially after the Cameroonian’s disappointing 2025–26 season, if Carrick can help Baleba rediscover the destructive form from 2024–25, when he was one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, then there’s no doubt that he sneaks into United’s strongest midfield.
As a result of his standout athleticism, Baleba is not merely a force in defensive transition. He’s also snappy when tasked with counter-pressing and would be a valuable asset to any team seeking to win back possession high up the pitch.
Who Are The Other Options in Man Utd’s Midfield?
Supporters said he was “free” when Ruben Amorim left Manchester at the start of the year, and Michael Carrick made use of Kobbie Mainoo’s liberation.
The then-interim manager said the Englishman "epitomizes this football club" after he signed a new deal, lasting until 2031, with the Red Devils in April. A strong end to the season, during which he started all but one of United’s 17 matches overseen by Carrick, meant he was included on Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup roster.
However, Mainoo returned to Carrington having not played a single minute in North America, and an extended post-tournament break meant he didn’t feature in any of the club’s preseason outings.
Thus, you’d have to suspect that he’s behind the likes of Santos and Tielemans in United’s midfield depth chart to start the new season. The two new signings have already been integrated into Carrick’s framework and started together in the 4–2 defeat to AC Milan.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
- Marcus Rashford Offers Hope for Man Utd—But Team Lacks Fight in Hull Shock
- Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Hull: Red Devils Humiliated in Opening Match
- Man Utd Hint at Final Marcus Rashford Decision With Squad Number Confirmation
- Why Is Amad Diallo Not Playing for Man Utd vs. Hull?
- Hull vs. Man Utd—Premier League: Live Score and Match Stats
