Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Brighton star Carlos Baleba and the midfielder has now addressed the speculation

Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba has opened up on the impact surrounding rumours of a potential move to Manchester United had on his form during the first half of the season. United were heavily linked with signing the Seagulls midfielder last summer, as they looked to strengthen their midfield.

However, Brighton were reported to value Baleba at a fee worth around £100million, so United ended up not going on to sign the Cameroon international despite the intense speculation – and widespread reports that they had agreed personal terms with the player.

United are continuing to be linked with a move for a new midfielder, particularly after it was confirmed that Casemiro would be leaving the club this summer when his contract at Old Trafford expires.

As a result, speculation linking Baleba with a switch to United is likely to return once the summer transfer window rolls around, although it remains to be seen if any other clubs will have an interest in the midfielder.

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Baleba endured a difficult first half of the season for Brighton, but has featured in all but six Premier League matches this term, with those absences due to his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon.

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With both the summer and January transfer windows now in the past, Baleba has reflected on how the speculation surrounding his future affected him.

“I feel more relaxed now,” Baleba, 22, told Sky Sports. “The noise about me outside, I didn’t understand.

“I didn’t look on the websites. I’m more focused on me, myself and for my team-mates.”

Brighton have had a tough campaign on all fronts so far this season, with the Seagulls in 14th place in the Premier League table and just seven points above the relegation zone. Despite the struggles, Baleba is remaining positive and is focused on enjoying the remainder of the campaign.

“All my qualities, I need to improve on that,” Baleba said. “The most of the qualities I have is I need to enjoy more football, because when I play, I’m so serious that I want to do the right thing or to do the proper thing on the pitch.”

It remains to be seen what United will have planned for the summer transfer window when it comes to potential midfield reinforcements.

Baleba is not the only midfielder to be linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last 12 months, with Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest, Sandro Tonali of Newcastle and Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace all seeing their names mentioned on the rumour mill.

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is reportedly on Manchester United’s radar, and this former Premier League ace believes he’ll fetch a hefty transfer sum

Former England coach Joleon Lescott thinks Manchester United will have to shell out £100million to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer. United and a number of rival clubs have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old.

Since leaving his boyhood Newcastle United for Forest, Anderson has been a revelation. He has played his way into the England frame and is one of the Premier League’s most sought-after young players.

It has long been reported that United want a new superstar midfielder in the summer. Anderson’s name has been floated around alongside the likes of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Casemiro will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the park when he leaves at the end of this campaign.

Ex-Manchester City defender Lescott worked alongside Anderson with England’s Under-21s and has a figure in mind should the youngster leave this summer. He also agreed with a peer as to whether Anderson’s Forest will survive the drop this season.

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Lescott and a guest on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet, were asked who they foresee being relegated this season alongside the current 19th- and 20th-place teams, Burnley and Wolves.

Both agreed on one side, and Lescott said: “I think Forest. I think West Ham get out of it.” The discussion then turned to Forest star Anderson, with Lescott adding: “He’s a £100million player, isn’t he? Especially after he plays at the World Cup.

“You’re not going to sell him before, are you? You’re going to sell him after the World Cup. [If Forest go down] they have to sell. But then there are more teams interested.

“They go down, more teams come in. Because if he’s in the Premier League, it’s, ‘He’s not leaving unless it’s £100m.’ Then there are only two or three teams.”

Having made his debut last year under Thomas Tuchel, Anderson admits he has hopes of being included in the manager’s World Cup squad. He told Sky Sports: “My dream was to play for Newcastle because I never expected to play for England but it tops everything off.

“First, I’m selected and I’m over the moon to be there, training with great players. But you want to make an impression, show the team that I am a good player. When I found out I was playing it was such a big moment.

“It’s my dream playing for England and playing with the best players brings out the best in me. England’s aim now is to win the trophies. It sounds good, doesn’t it?

“There’s a long way to go to get to the World Cup. I have to treat every game until then as a World Cup final and then hopefully I can get to one. I can’t wait. If I’m there I’ll have all of my family with me. It’s really exciting, to be honest. Very exciting.”

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Manchester United will be focusing on their midfield in the summer transfer window as Casemiro prepares to leave at the end of his contract.

Manchester United are set for yet another busy summer transfer window, whether they qualify for the Champions League or not. United will have money to spend as they look to overhaul their midfield department, and the departures of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho should add to the coffers

Changes in midfield were on the cards even before Casemiro announced he would be leaving at the end of the season. Despite regressing during his second and third seasons at Old Trafford, the Brazil international’s displays this season have been integral in United’s push for Champions League football.

United know they cannot afford to promote Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and this season has shown how fragile United look when Casemiro is not holding down the midfield – whether that be next to Kobbie Mainoo or Bruno Fernandes.

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United need to ensure their transfer plan is set ahead of the summer window. Back in November, sporting director Jason Wilcox gave an insight into the club’s plans.

“Last year’s summer window [2024] was a lot more chaotic than this one and this one was really calm,” he explained. “With this one, we knew the plan, we knew which players we were going to target, we had our lists, we knew which areas of the pitch we needed to improve.

“This year, we looked at Premier League-ready players and certainly with Bryan [Mbeumo] and Matheus [Cunha], we couldn’t take too much risk in this area. We needed players that we could plug in and play with little transition time.”

United know they cannot afford to get their next big midfield signing wrong, and so the safe option would be to once again look at Premier League-proven players.

Carlos Baleba was monitored by United in the summer, but having been quoted more than £100m for the Cameroon international, the Reds decided to keep their powder dry. That decision is looking smarter by the day.

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Baleba has struggled on the south coast and his difficult campaign took another turn for the worse on Wednesday night when he was taken off after just 22 minutes at Aston Villa. Fabian Hurzeler insisted the substitution was made to protect his midfielder after he was booked just two minutes into the game.

Even if that is the case, such an early substitution sums up what has been a disappointing 2025/26 for Baleba and should put United off signing him in the summer. So who could the Reds turn to instead?

Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton have both been linked but neither would be a perfect fit to replace the qualities Casemiro brings. Sandro Tonali is also admired by the Reds, but if you were to sign a midfielder from Newcastle, you would rather it was Bruno Guimaraes – and that seems a very unlikely move.

With realistic options in the Premier League thin on the ground, United might need to ignore Wilcox’s policy of finding a ‘plug in and play’ star and take a risk instead. The Reds realistically need to cast their net wider, which could mean dipping into the overseas market.

The World Cup almost guarantees players who were not on the radar of most clubs will put themselves in the shop window. But United will be wary of paying a ‘World Cup tax’ for a player who might not be a long-term solution.

In an ideal world, the Reds would have hoped Baleba would impress this season so they could go back in for him. But as the season goes on, that transfer route is looking even more of a gamble – especially at the price previously quoted.