Carlos Baleba is Manchester United’s latest signing, and the club are buying from a trusted seller.
Ineos’ patient approach with Carlos Baleba has paid off, with Manchester United finally agreeing a fee for the Brighton midfielder.
Brighton had demanded around £115 million including add-ons when Manchester United made an approach in 2025.
Baleba has now joined United for £65 million plus a possible further £5 million.
This is still a substantial sale for Brighton despite not getting the even bigger money they wanted.
Carlos Baleba fee compared
Carlos Baleba is the joint seventh most expensive Manchester United transfer of all time, with the club paying £65 million plus add-ons for Bryan Mbeumo in 2025 too.
In ascending order in terms of the price the players to cost more than Baleba are… Benjamin Sesko, Jadon Sancho, Harry Maguire, Antony, and Paul Pogba.
There is a lot less pressure on Carlos Baleba being signed at £65 million than if he signed for United as the club’s record addition.
In terms of Brighton’s record sales, Baleba will still represent the second highest ever fee received by the Seagulls.
- Moises Caicedo: £112m
- Carlos Baleba: £65m
- Marc Cucurella: £56m
- Joao Pedro: £55m
- Jan Paul Van Hecke: £52m
- Ben White: £50m
The Van Hecke deal went through this past summer, and while Tottenham had a poor opening result at the weekend, he is expected to be a solid addition.
The rest of the players above have all proven to be quality signings for their respective buyers, and Carlos Baleba is expected to follow the trend.
Buying from Brighton is buying from one of England’s top clubs. The Seagulls finished in eighth place in 2025/26. They have finished inside the top 10 in four of the past five years – the odd one out they finished 11th.
In Baleba, United are buying a player identified by Brighton’s top recruitment team, and one who was trusted by their management. He has made a total of 112 appearances for the club.
The midfielder knows exactly what is expected in the Premier League and he should be able to settle in at United as soon as he is fit.
Carlos Baleba wants to talk on the pitch
After a long wait to join Manchester United, Carlos Baleba will be looking forward to doing his talking on the pitch.
Speaking in 2024, Baleba stated this is where he finds himself most comfortable.
He said: “”I don’t know if I’m going to be the star or the next big thing. For me, being the star is quite a lot. Everyone talking about you, singing your name? That just doesn’t do it for me.
“It’s not something that gets me running. I just prefer getting my head down and working on the pitch.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/izOpdCM