Manchester United have genuine interest in signing Carlos Baleba this summer despite all expectations that it will be an expensive move to make.
Pre-summer expectations have been blown out of the water by Ineos and there is still more business on the cards for the Red Devils.
Everybody thought Manchester United were broke this summer, but if the ideal summer for Ruben Amorim all falls into place, it could see an outlay of nearly £300m.
Premier League proven Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were first through the doors, with United spending £65m and £62.5m respectively on the attacking players.
Next, United are closing in on a deal for Benjamin Sesko which is expected to cost somewhere close to £70m which is a reasonable amount for a player of his ilk.
However, even with £197.5m potential dedicated to the attacking ranks, United are now interested in Carlos Baleba, with the Brighton midfielder the perfect number six for Ruben Amorim.
But, his price tag presents issues.
Chelsea managed to knock £50m off Joao Pedro valuation
Fabrizio Romano went live on YouTube on Wednesday to confirm United have real interest in Baleba, although poured a bit of water over this heating up rumour, admitting that Brighton are not keen to sell.
The Seagulls are notoriously difficult negotiators and are tough to buy from, which makes it unlikely United will be able to find a deal that suits this summer.
Cameroonian reports have suggested Brighton want £87m on the table to even consider opening talks over the sale of Baleba.
However, United will have one reason to hold confidence, having saw Chelsea secure a half-price deal for Joao Pedro earlier this summer.
Back in April, it was reported by talkSPORT that Brighton had set a £100m tag on both Pedro and Baleba, however, fast forward to June and Chelsea secured the signing of Pedro for just £50m, 50 per cent of the original demands.
This is either incredible negotiating, or Brighton’s large price demands this summer are all a bluff and in either case, Ineos will have some confidence of securing a discount on Baleba.
Differently to Pedro, Baleba is simply far too good to cost £50m, however if United were able to get the up front fee down toward £80m or less and structure it correctly, it could become affordable very quickly.
The sale of Pedro means Brighton no longer need to sell though, and with Paul Barber denying that Baleba is for sale as quoted by Sky Sports, it is certainly an uphill battle for the Red Devils to make this happen.
Manchester United will need Carlos Baleba to push for transfer
It has long been assumed that Baleba would be a summer 2026 target, with another year at Brighton to hone his craft and almost guarantee that the South Coast side get Moises Caicedo money.
However, United registering an interest this summer could be to avoid the race to sign him in 12 months when the Cameroon international becomes the most wanted in Europe.
With Brighton under no pressure to sell for less than their demands, United will need the player to push for a move right now in order for it to become feasible.
Saving 50 per cent on Baleba is impossible, however knocking £10m or £15m off the price tag could be excellent work and see United stand a real chance of signing the perfect Amorim midfielder this summer.
Brighton won’t want to lose the 21-year-old, but if he is unhappy and United offered £80m, it could be difficult to refuse, especially after they had a massive outlay last summer.
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