Manchester United are actively pushing to sign Brighton midfielder Baleba in the current transfer window, with manager Amorim urgently needing a midfielder to accelerate the team’s rebuild.
Brighton are understood to value the 21-year-old at around £120 million, and club owner Tony Bloom typically stands firm on such prices. United’s hierarchy are currently considering how to structure an offer, with one idea being to pay an initial £80 million in fixed transfer fees, with the remaining amount to be covered via add-on clauses. United are interested in including players like Jadon Sancho as part of a swap deal, but Brighton are unlikely to accept such a proposal.
Although United are expected to spend in the remaining days of the transfer window, so far, they have supplemented their available budget under the player sales revenue scheme through completing three major deals – signing Cunha, Mbeumo, and Šeško – as well as the initial payments already made.
Amorim insists on signing a midfielder who can bind the team together, and Baleba is regarded as the best fit for their needs. Another appealing factor is that he not only meets United’s immediate requirements but also has huge potential.
If United fail to sign him this summer, they will almost certainly make another attempt to sign the Cameroonian youngster next year. The same scenario may apply to United’s preferred midfield alternative, Warton. If Baleba cannot be signed, the club may try to sign Crystal Palace’s defensive midfielder Adam Warton, though the Red Devils have also long held ambitions to pair the two together. However, Wharton is expected to command a higher transfer fee this summer, as Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is reluctant to let him go, especially since they may also lose Guehi and Eze this summer.
United have also scouted Sporting CP midfielder Ullmann, though there are doubts over whether he possesses the physicality required for the position United are targeting. Atalanta’s Ederson is also highly regarded, despite operating in a slightly different position.
Baleba himself is highly enthusiastic about the move to join Manchester United.
