Man Utd Have Personal Terms Locked With Carlos Baleba. Now They Want a Discount.

Manchester United already has Carlos Baleba’s word. The Brighton midfielder agreed to personal terms with the club last summer. But the deal never happened. Now it might, except United wants to pay less than the £75 million they were willing to spend a year ago.

Ben Jacobs laid it out on the Market Madness podcast. Baleba is still on United’s list. The player wants the move. Terms were agreed. But there’s a catch. Brighton is famously tough at the negotiating table, and United’s valuation has dropped.

Why? Baleba’s form dipped this season. He dealt with injuries and didn’t look as dominant as the player who first caught United’s eye. So INEOS and Jim Ratcliffe, still cautious about overpaying, want a better price. United missed on Elliot Anderson (now at Man City) and Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham) because they refused to meet the asking price. They’re not about to overcorrect by overpaying for Baleba either.

Jacobs didn’t predict the deal is done. He said United could revisit the situation now that other targets are off the board. But Brighton won’t make it easy. They’ll point to the fees other midfielders commanded this summer and use that as leverage. United’s counter is straightforward: the player wants out, and we’ve already got his word.

Rio Ferdinand is sold on the fit

Rio Ferdinand gave the Baleba idea a public endorsement back in January. The former United defender called him a serious talent and a smart long-term replacement for Casemiro, who left on a free transfer this summer.

“He’s fearless on the ball, drives forward with confidence, and already shows maturity in how he reads danger and transitions play,” Ferdinand said on TNT Sports. “What stands out is his aggression in duels and recovery speed — he wins the ball and actually does something progressive with it. That’s key in today’s Premier League.”

Ferdinand compared him to Aurelien Tchouameni and Anderson. He said Baleba offers more dynamism and ball-carrying than Tchouameni and is more disciplined defensively than Anderson. The profile fits what Carrick wants out of the midfield spot: mobility, aggression, and quick transitions.

United has to sign at least two midfielders this summer. Carrick’s permanent appointment and a return to Champions League football make the club a more attractive destination, but the budget still has limits. Baleba makes sense on paper. The question is whether United and Brighton can find a number somewhere between £60 million and £75 million that both sides can live with.