Manchester United in talks to sign Kadioglu as second £50m Brighton deal follows Baleba agreement

Manchester United are in advanced discussions to sign Brighton left-back Ferdi Kadioglu for around £50m, according to reports, with the move coming just days after the club agreed a £70m deal to bring midfielder Carlos Baleba to Old Trafford. The potential double signing would represent a combined outlay of approximately £120m from the same Premier League club.

Baleba’s move to United was reported first, with the Cameroonian midfielder set to become manager Michael Carrick’s third midfield arrival of the summer. Attention then quickly shifted to the left-back position, with Kadioglu emerging as the primary target.

Brighton signed Kadioglu from Fenerbahce for £25m in August 2024, but injuries restricted him to just 887 minutes in his debut season. The Turkish international recovered strongly in 2025/26, making 42 appearances across all competitions to establish himself as the club’s first-choice left-back.

His absence from Brighton’s squad that beat Aston Villa at the weekend raised eyebrows, with the club citing a minor injury. However, having played 87 minutes in a Conference League play-off against Norwegian side Tromso just days earlier, a knock was considered plausible. Within 24 hours, Turkish reports emerged claiming United were set to sign him for £40m, with Sussex World subsequently reporting that talks had begun over a £50m deal.

The prospect of the transfer gained further credibility when it was reported that Brighton had moved to sign left-back Jaouen Hadjam from Swiss club Young Boys — a move widely interpreted as cover for Kadioglu’s potential departure. Turkish outlet AS Marca also confirmed United’s interest, noting that former club Fenerbahce are entitled to 10 per cent of any transfer fee.

More context on the deal could emerge later this week when Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler holds a press conference ahead of the Tromso return leg.

On the pitch, United’s need for reinforcements was underlined by a defeat to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday. Carrick’s side face Ipswich Town this weekend, with the club hoping Baleba at least completes his move before then. The midfield pairing of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans struggled against Hull, raising the possibility that Kobbie Mainoo could return to the starting XI.