Manchester United scales back interest in Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba

Manchester United have cooled their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba after a valuation gap emerged. While United added Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to the midfield and are searching for additional options following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s injury, Brighton has reportedly set a price north of £75 million, possibly approaching £100 million. United consider Baleba worth around £50 million, a figure the club deem excessive given budget constraints and other positional needs. Consequently, United have shifted focus to more affordable targets such as Sander Berge and have also dropped interest in other Premier League prospects, including Alex Scott.

The club’s transfer strategy emphasizes financial discipline, with United unlikely to allocate a near‑£100 million fee for a single midfielder, preferring to balance midfield reinforcement with needs in defense and attack.