Man United: “Let’s see where we go” - Fresh Carlos Baleba transfer update delivered by Brighton chief

Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive and deputy chair Paul Barber has responded to speculation regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of midfielder Carlos Baleba.

Reports emerged earlier this week that the Red Devils are closing in on a deal to sign the 22-year-old, who has been admired by Old Trafford chiefs for some time.

Man United attempted to sign Baleba last summer, but they were unwilling to pay in excess of £100m for the Cameroon international and a move from Brighton failed to materialise.

Baleba struggled to reach the heights expected during the 2025-26 campaign, but he is still rated highly by Man United, who have opted to explore a permanent move once again this summer.

The Red Devils have already bought Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans ahead of the new season, but they are thought to be keen to add another midfield body to Michael Carrick’s squad following the departure of Casemiro and long-term injury absence of Manuel Ugarte.

As things stand, Man United’s latest offer for Baleba of £60m plus £5m in add-ons falls below Brighton's valuation of the midfielder, but reports suggest that a club-to-club agreement will soon be reached.

Barber remains coy on Baleba future amid Man Utd talks

Brighton chief Barber appeared on talkSPORT on Thursday morning and was asked to provide an update on the situation with Man United.

He said: "It's not something that I can talk about right now. At this time of year, we're always going to be subject to bids for our players.

“We are always going to be interested in ones that are sensible and that are going to make sense for us financially and economically.

"But we always have to balance that with making sure the squad is as strong as it can be to compete in competitions like the one we are in tonight [Brighton facing Tromso in the Conference League].

"So nothing to really say on Carlos at the moment other than he's a hugely talented young midfielder who's done really well for us and has attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world now for a couple of years. Let's see where we go."

Man Utd-linked Baleba may have already played final game for Brighton

Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2023 for a reported £23m, and has since played a total of 112 times for the Seagulls across all competitions.

The deep-lying midfielder made 35 appearances for Fabian Hurzeler’s side last season, while he also represented Cameroon five times during the Africa Cup of Nations - alongside Man United’s Bryan Mbeumo - midway through the campaign.

Baleba has less than two years remaining on his contract at the Amex Stadium and he is thought to be attracted by the opportunity to represent Man United.

He may have already played his final match for the Seagulls, as he is currently recovering from an ankle ligament injury which is expected to keep him sidelined for the first few weeks of the season.