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With the Šeško signing wrapped up, Manchester Unite seem to have turned its attention back to the hole that keeps showing up every time they try to control a game. They want a ball-winner who can survive in chaos, protect Kobbie Mainoo, and let the attack breathe. People inside the club have been open about the next step. A defensive midfielder is on the shopping list before the window shuts.
The name gathering speed: Carlos Baleba
The strongest noise this week is around Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Multiple outlets say United have made contact to understand the conditions of a deal, with Brighton pushing back hard. Reports attributed to David Ornstein and echoed by other journalists say United sounded out the move through intermediaries. Fabrizio Romano has also framed it as interest from United with Brighton insisting it would be a very difficult deal at a very high price. In short, the door is not closed, but the lock looks expensive.
Brighton’s chief executive Paul Barber has publicly cooled the story. He said United had not contacted him and reminded everyone that speculation is exactly that. Even so, Brighton’s broader stance over the last months has been consistent. Sooner or later, some of their best will be sold if the fee is right. That usually means a premium.
Why United are chasing this profile now
United’s midfield kept breaking in the same place last season. They struggled to win second balls in their own half, the distances between midfield and defence got silly, and transitions against them felt like coin flips they kept losing. You fix that by adding a defensive midfielder who can scan early, kill counters without collecting a red card every other week, and pass cleanly enough to get the first phase moving.
Šeško’s arrival only sharpens the need. He stretches the pitch and invites quick deliveries into space. That works best when the midfield behind him is stable. United knows this. The plan to add a DM after the striker is not a mystery. It has been floated in reputable reporting as they mapped the final weeks of the window.
Where the numbers might land
No one at Brighton is going to set a discount price for Baleba in public. Some reports suggest United would have to go into club-record territory to make them blink, while others insist Brighton would prefer to revisit it next summer. The messaging is a classic negotiating stance. High bar now, softer conversation later. United will need a clean path on outgoing sales to even test Brighton’s resolve.
Back-up routes on the board
Baleba is not the only file open. United has monitored alternative options with different risk profiles and price points. Morten Hjulmand remains the manager’s type, given the Sporting connection, but recent reporting has suggested Sporting are pointing to a sky-high benchmark. There has also been recurring chatter about a move within the Premier League for Wolves’ João Gomes if the continental targets prove unworkable. None of these are easy, and the fees being quoted explain why United is pushing the Baleba conversation first.
How the football looks if they land one
This is not just a transfer story. It is a tactical repair. A proper holding midfielder lets United compress the pitch. It brings the back four five yards higher, shortens the pass into Mainoo, and lets the wingers start their runs earlier. You feel it most in the boring moments. Throw-ins in your own half stop turning into mini heart attacks. Goal kicks become clean exits rather than punts to nowhere. If you watched them last season, you know exactly what I mean.
What I’m hearing and what I’m watching for
- United are comfortable with Šeško, and that deal’s timing frees up bandwidth for midfield. The club have briefed for weeks that the squad still needs a holding player before deadline day.
- Baleba is the live pursuit. Contact has been made around the parameters, Brighton are firm, and the price talk is heavy. If United move from sounding-out to bidding, that will tell us they believe exits will cover PSR.
- If Brighton keep the door shut, watch the Hjulmand file for late movement or a Premier League pivot like João Gomes. The money is the sticking point in both cases.
Quick view: Targets and status
| Player | Club | Role | Where talks stand | Ballpark chatter |
| Carlos Baleba | Brighton | Defensive midfielder | Contact explored through intermediaries, Brighton resistant | Very high fee, potentially record-level for Brighton |
| Morten Hjulmand | Sporting CP | Defensive midfielder | Admired by manager, difficult fee | Figures near release-clause levels mentioned |
| João Gomes | Wolves | Ball-winning CM/DM | Monitored as a Premier League route | Talk of £35–40m territory last year, would still be significant |
Sources behind the snapshot above: reporting on contact with Brighton for Baleba, Sporting’s stance on Hjulmand’s price, and previous guidance around João Gomes valuations.
Bottom line
United are after a defensive midfielder. Baleba is the one they want right now, because he fits the age, engine and resale profile the ownership likes, and because he answers a football problem that has been obvious for months. Whether they can pry him out of Brighton in August depends on exits and on just how far they are willing to push the fee. If that door closes, expect them to pivot quickly. The need does not go away.