Manchester United are continuing to keep tabs on Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba as head coach Ruben Amorim and influential figures at Old Trafford are heading into 2026 with the acquisition of a central midfielder at the top of their priorities list, GIVEMESPORT senior reporter Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
The Red Devils have surged into the European qualification places thanks to embarking on a three-match winning streak in the Premier League, but they are still making plans to take advantage of the opportunity to improve their squad when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year and in the summer.
Red Devils Monitor Baleba as Priority Comes to Light
Manchester United still have Baleba on their shortlist of potential recruits after setting their sights on bolstering their options in the middle of the park, according to Romano, but they have not made a final decision on their preferred acquisition after also monitoring Stuttgart’s Germany international Angelo Stiller.
The Red Devils were not afraid to splash the cash on attacking reinforcements during the summer – leading to Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko embarking on a fresh challenge at Old Trafford – but Amorim is aiming to add further stability in front of the backline.
Respected journalist Romano has confirmed that Manchester United co-owners INEOS and members of the management team have decided that they need to enter the market for a new central midfielder in 2026 and, as a result, Baleba is among the names being eyed behind the scenes.
Brighton made it clear that they were unwilling to sell the 21-year-old unless a bid in the region of £115million was lodged during the summer transfer window, which resulted in the Red Devils turning their attention elsewhere despite already holding discussions with his current employers via intermediaries.
Stiller is also firmly on Manchester United’s radar after director of football Jason Wilcox has been monitoring his progress for a number of years, Romano has admitted, but there remains a possibility that they will choose to press ahead with making a move to sign Baleba in the coming months.
The Cameroon international – who has been described as ‘incredible’ – still has more than two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, resulting in Brighton being in a strong negotiating position ahead of their Premier League counterparts potentially attempting to lure him to Old Trafford.
Leave a Reply