Manchester United are all-but guaranteed UEFA Champions League football next season and that will make things a little bit easier when it comes to signing players in the summer transfer window.
The finances will be there, first and foremost, with United to benefit initially from a £16million windfall for qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.
And secondly they will be able to encourage better players to make the move to Old Trafford, with the carrot of playing Champions League football.
United‘s top priority when the summer transfer window opens is a central midfielder, with the desire to actually sign two if they can.
Changes Are Coming In The Man Utd Midfield
Casemiro will be departing Old Trafford once the season ends, with his contract expiring, while the Red Devils are also open to selling Manuel Ugarte too.
Kobbie Mainoo is set to sign an extended contract at the club and United are looking for reinforcements to play alongside Mainoo.
Elliot Anderson is their number one target, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder hot property this summer. Manchester City are also in the market for the 25-year-old, with Pep Guardiola’s side confident of sealing a move.
But there are a number of other names who have been linked with a move to Old Trafford and one in particular that has been linked for some time is Carlos Baleba at Brighton & Hove Albion.
United came to an agreement with the Cameroonian player last summer, but Brighton shut down any hope of a move by saying he was not for sale.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the previous agreement remains in place and United will be hoping to bring the price tag down, after Baleba has had an indifferent season in the Premier League.
Rumours of a fee in the region of £50million or £60million have been touted, which would be a big drop from the £100million-plus Brighton were demanding last summer to even come to the table. The Seagulls hierarchy had seen Baleba as being worth as much as Moises Caicedo, whom they sold to Chelsea for £115million in 2023.
But while the price tag has come down, it has not come down that much, according to GIVEMESPORT’s senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs.
He said: “Carlos Baleba is still very open to Manchester United and it’s true that last summer terms were put in place on the player side, but when Manchester United went to Brighton, they were given a very clear answer: No price and not for sale.
“So suggestions that Brighton have ever communicated a number to Manchester United are wide of the mark according to my information.
Manchester United Will Want Carlos Baleba Discount
“Baleba has had an indifferent season and his head was very much turned when Manchester United made the approach, so there’s a possibility Man United return because Baleba is one of several options on the list of midfielders.
“If Manchester United return, the player’s open to the move. At the time, Manchester United were the only ones mentioning numbers, and they said £75million to Brighton and they were told not for sale with no counter and no price, and Brighton’s belief at that time was that Baleba could effectively, without giving numbers, be like Moises Caicedo and potentially with a good season, get into British transfer record territory.
“Now it’s a little bit different because you could make an argument, certainly Manchester United will, that Baleba’s value has decreased from 12 months ago, and this is why Manchester United at around the £50million to £60million price point would be willing to return and potentially consider that deal.
“But Brighton sources have told me anything that begins with a five, a six, and very possibly a seven or an eight is not going to be engaged with.
“So Baleba is still going to fall into an expensive category if Manchester United want to proceed, but he’s one of several options.”
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