Manchester United Secures Carlos Baleba on Five-Year Contract with One-Year Option
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Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Manchester United signed former Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba to a five-year contract, with a one-year option, the Red Devils announced Tuesday.
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The Guardian SportManchester United have completed the signing of the Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba in a deal worth up to £70m. The Cameroon international is the third midfielder to join this summer, after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
Sky SportsTuesday 25 August 2026 16:52, UK Manchester United have completed the signing of midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton.
BBC SportPublished Manchester United have signed Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a £70m deal.
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“It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams,” Baleba said. “Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.
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Sky Sports"It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams. Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour," Baleba told the club's website.
Yahoo Sports"It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams," Baleba told ManUtd.com. "Playing at Old Trafford is always special, but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honor.
BBC Sport"It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams," he said. "Playing at Old Trafford is always special, but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.
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Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in 2023 and made 112 appearances for the club. He featured 35 times last season and was absent for a spell while representing Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Yahoo SportsBaleba, 21, totaled four goals and two assists over 112 appearances for Brighton. The Cameroonian made his senior team debut at French Ligue 1 club Lille in 2022.
BBC SportBaleba, who joined Brighton from Lille in 2023, is currently sidelined with an ankle injury he picked up during the Seagulls' pre-season training camp in Austria.
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United require greater authority in the middle of the pitch and, crucially, someone capable of winning the ball back in deeper areas. Baleba brings exactly that. His athleticism, aggression and ability to carry the ball through midfield would add a level of dynamism and steel that is currently missing.
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BBC Sport'Baleba complements United's other midfielders' Baleba's appeal lies less in creativity and more in his ability to win possession, cover ground and then carry his team forward.
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Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have been astute additions, but Baleba offers something different: specialist defensive power coupled with the athleticism to drive United up the pitch.
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BBC SportBut that may make him complementary to United's other options rather than a direct alternative. Tielemans can provide more of the progressive distribution, while Baleba offers defensive security and the ability to drive through midfield.
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Paul Pogba is the only midfield player United have signed for more than the £70m they are committing to Baleba which, given his age, is a statement in itself.
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Sky Sports Transfer Centre LIVE! | Man Utd news & transfers🔴 Man Utd fixtures & scores | FREE Man Utd highlights▶️ Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱 Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream PL games with no contract📺
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02 BBC Sport At the end of last season, midfield was targeted as a priority area as United looked to build on qualification for the Champions League after a two-year absence.
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03 Yahoo Sports "Carlos has made a significant contribution during his time with us and we've seen him develop both as a player and person here," Brighton sporting director Mike Cave told the team website.
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04 The Guardian Sport United’s director of football, Jason Wilcoxm said: “Carlos is an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further. He brings a unique combination of qualities that will really complement our squad.
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Sources (4)
- guardian-sport
- bbc-sport
- skysports
- yahoosports