Manchester United sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton in £70m deal to complete midfield overhaul

Manchester United have announced the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton for £65 million, with a further £5 million in add-ons, making the 22-year-old Cameroon international the club’s third midfield signing of the summer transfer window.

Baleba has penned a five-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a sixth year. His arrival takes United’s total midfield expenditure this summer to approximately £155 million, following the earlier signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

United first registered interest in Baleba last summer, but Brighton used their £115 million sale of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea three years ago as the benchmark for those initial talks. The Seagulls have now accepted a significantly lower fee, with sources indicating United consider the deal a strong piece of business after a year of patient pursuit.

The midfielder arrives carrying a minor ankle ligament injury sustained recently. The problem is not considered serious, though he is not expected to be available for selection immediately upon joining.

United are understood to have been undeterred by Baleba’s dip in form during the 2025/26 season, with club chiefs confident he can develop into one of the Premier League’s top midfielders and fill the void left by the departed Casemiro. Manager Michael Carrick, when asked whether the club’s new midfield arrivals could replace what Casemiro offered, said: “You’ve got to evolve, you’ve got to find ways of moving forward.”

With the midfield rebuild now largely complete, United’s attention is expected to turn to the left-back position before the Premier League transfer window closes on 1 September.