Manchester United officially announced the signing of 22-year-old Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton on August 25, 2026. The player agreed to a five-year contract with the option for an additional year [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
The transfer fee is reported at £65 million initially, with up to £5 million in add-ons, totaling £70 million [1, 3, 7, 8]. This signing is part of United's summer midfield rebuild, which has seen approximately £150 million spent on midfielders including Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans [1, 3, 5, 6].
Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in 2023 and made over 100 appearances for the Seagulls across all competitions, with some sources noting 112 appearances [1, 2, 3, 6, 8]. He played 31 Premier League games last season but had a somewhat inconsistent campaign [1, 2, 8].
During Brighton's pre-season, Baleba suffered an ankle ligament injury but is expected to recover without a lengthy absence [1, 2, 4, 6, 8]. United's director of football Jason Wilcox called Baleba "an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further" and said he "brings a unique combination of qualities that will really complement our squad" [3, 6, 7, 8].
Baleba is expected to compete for starting midfield places alongside Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo, and Bruno Fernandes [6, 9, 8]. United had shown interest in him last summer but paused talks due to Brighton's high valuation above £100 million [1, 2, 3, 7, 8].
Carlos Baleba said, "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." He also expressed excitement about working with coach Michael Carrick, describing him as "the perfect coach to help me to reach the highest level" [1, 3].
Baleba’s arrival follows United’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City on August 22, where new midfielders Santos and Tielemans made their debuts [1]. The club aims to strengthen its midfield options this season.
Baleba’s contract runs for five years with an option for a further year, solidifying United’s commitment to their new signing [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
