What Manchester United must do to sign Cameroon’s Baleba

Manchester United remain keen on signing Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba, but turning long-standing interest into a completed deal will not be straightforward.

With Brighton holding a strong position and January moves proving difficult, the Red Devils face clear conditions if they want to land the 22-year-old.

Manchester United have been in regular contact with Baleba’s camp since last summer, underlining how highly they rate the Brighton midfielder.

Despite that sustained dialogue, no official bid has been submitted during the current transfer window, and there are no active negotiations between the two clubs at this stage. Brighton are determined to keep Baleba for the remainder of the season, making a mid-season departure highly improbable.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the only way a January transfer could happen would be through an “unusually big and crazy” offer—one substantial enough to force Brighton into reconsidering their stance.

Given Baleba’s importance to the squad and his performances this season, the Seagulls have little incentive to sell midway through the campaign. As a result, United would need to dramatically exceed Brighton’s valuation to have any chance of accelerating the deal before summer.

While Manchester United are monitoring other midfield options for 2026 and could bring in one or two reinforcements, Baleba remains a priority target.

The player himself is understood to be keen on a move to Old Trafford, which gives United encouragement that personal terms would not be an obstacle when the time is right. For now, patience may be the smarter approach.

Baleba has continued to justify the interest with strong performances for Brighton, featuring in 16 Premier League matches this season.

His reputation has grown further at AFCON 2025, where he has played every game for Cameroon and earned the man-of-the-match award in their 2–1 Round of 16 victory over South Africa.

If United want to secure Baleba, maintaining contact, preparing a serious summer bid, and resisting panic spending in January may ultimately be the key to getting their man.