Manchester United have officially ended their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion’s rising star midfielder, Carlos Baleba, for this summer’s transfer window. According to multiple top sources, the potential deal has collapsed due to the Seagulls’ enormous and prohibitive asking price.
Despite positive initial contact between the clubs and reports of advanced talks between United and the player’s agents over personal terms, Brighton’s valuation of their prized asset proved to be an insurmountable hurdle. The south-coast club reportedly demanded a staggering fee of £115 million for the 21-year-old Cameroonian international, a price that Manchester United deemed to be far too high to proceed with.
Brighton’s position throughout the process has remained firm and consistent with their past transfer dealings: they were not actively looking to sell one of their most important players and would only consider a departure for a truly astronomical fee. United have now reportedly accepted that Brighton are simply not willing to sell for a reasonable price this summer.
However, while a move will not happen in this window, the door remains open for the future. David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that Baleba himself “is willing to keep pushing for a United move,” even if it means waiting until a later date. His desire to eventually make the switch to Old Trafford is clear.
With the Baleba deal now officially off the table for this summer, Manchester United will be forced to look at other options if they are to strengthen their midfield before the window closes. The club has previously been linked with several other players, including Valencia’s Javi Guerra and Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand.
Brighton’s famously tough negotiating stance has won the day once again. Manchester United have been priced out of a move for their top midfield target and will now have to decide whether to pivot to an alternative target or wait another year to try again for Baleba.