Carlos Baleba in action for Brighton vs Brentford last season (photo of Ryan Pierse / Getty Images)
Carlos Baleba’s transfer saga has become a new battlefield between the Giants of the Premier League Manchester United and Manchester City.
Brighton Central midfielder, aged 21, drew the attention of the best European clubs thanks to his technical capacity and enormous potential, but Man United is currently directing the race for his signature, Taken into account understand.
Several sources have confirmed that Man City also intensifies their interest in Baleba while Pep Guardiola is a great personal admirer of the Cameroon International.
However, a source, remaining anonymous to protect relations in the industry, said Taken into account: “United has been in talks with Baleba for weeks. They have already agreed personal conditions – the duration of the contract and the salary are sorted. Baleba told Brighton that he wanted to leave and clearly indicated that his favorite destination is Old Trafford. Brighton, however, played cautious. With the player under contract until 2028, they use this lever effect to demand massive transfer costs.”
Carlos Baleba being closely followed by the two Manchester clubs
In the meantime, Taken into account were also informed that City had an eye on Baleba. Guardiola is known to be a longtime admirer and considers him a future midfielder in the city.
However, no official offer has yet been made, while certain sources have suggested that the interest of the city has only pushed United to act faster in talks with Baleba and Brighton.
Brighton signed Baleba from Lille two years ago for 27 million euros. Now they are looking to collect with a much higher price. His absence from Brighton’s friendly match against Wolfsburg was considered a strong sign that negotiations are progressing.
After landing Benjamin Sesko, United now aims to build a new midfielder nucleus with Baleba. Its profile corresponds perfectly to the tactical configuration of Ruben Amorim, which makes this decision not only ambitious, but also intelligent from a football point of view.
