The Carlos Baleba and Manchester United transfer saga had been going on for quite a while now. It was during the 2025 Summer Transfer Window that reports came out which confirmed a strong interest from Manchester United to sign Baleba from Brighton. The likes of Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein went on to confirm the news as well. However, in the end, United was made aware that a transfer was unlikely as Brighton weren't interested in selling him and any potential transfer fee would've been astronomical. Baleba was apparently quite keen to join Ruben Amorim's Manchester United, and he was extremely disappointed that the deal didn't materialize. This was seen in his performances for Brighton in the beginning of the season, as Baleba was simply shocking and a shadow of his usual self. He has since been slowly getting back to his usual standard and is now playing for Cameroon in the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations).
Carlos Baleba to Manchester United in the January Transfer Window?
Now that the January Transfer Window is open, reports are coming out again that Manchester United have reignited their interest in Baleba and are looking at the possibilities of a January Transfer. However, the recent statements from Brighton CEO Paul Barber while talking to talkSPORT shuts down any hope for a January transfer.
The following were his words "No call from Old Trafford. No call from anyone connected to Manchester United. We have no plans or desire to sell Carlos in this window, or in any future window, but we know he's a talented player and he's got a lot of options ahead of him in the future. For us right now, he's an important player in the second half of the season and we're looking forward to getting him back from AFCON."
Considering the above statement, it looks unlikely that Man Utd could get Carlos Baleba right now, and a more realistic time would be when the Premier League season gets over and the 2026 Summer Transfer Window opens.
Why are Man Utd desperate to transfer in Carlos Baleba?
Ruben Amorim's current preferred midfield in Manchester United is a double-pivot of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese manager doesn't prefer Kobbie Mainoo for reasons best known to him, and Manuel Ugarte on the other hand has been a disastrous signing for the club. There are some major issues with the Casemiro-Fernandes midfield though. Casemiro is no longer the Casemiro of the past, and he doesn't have the same legs anymore to keep running around and shielding the defence. Bruno Fernandes is not a central midfielder/defensive midfielder and his preferred position is attacking midfielder. Thus, the Portuguese is playing in a role that not only takes away his best abilities, but one where also struggles and thus affects the rest of the time.
Carlos Baleba would be a major solution to many of Manchester United's midfield issues, and hence they are desperate to sign him. The Cameroonian is a versatile player who can operate in a box-to-box role or as a holding midfielder. He is quite powerful as well, and also excels in various key attributes such as stamina, dribbling and passing range. Baleba's ability to progress the ball forward at rapid pace is another highlight of the player. In short, he has everything that's needed to develop into a world-class complete midfielder.
We'll have to wait and see if Manchester United eventually end up signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton or not. One thing is for certain though, Baleba is destined for greatness and has a great future ahead of him.
