Premier League chief executive tells Man Utd they have 'no desire' to sell star player in 'any window'
Manchester United have been told a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba will be a tough one to do this month
Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive and deputy chair Paul Barber has said there has been no contact from Manchester United about a January move for midfielder Carlos Baleba.
United have been interested in Baleba for a number of months now. They initially weighed up a summer move for the Cameroon international but Brighton’s £100m-plus asking price made a deal unfeasible.
Brighton believe Baleba will become as good as Chelsea star Moises Caicedo and are unwilling to sell him for less than the £115m paid by the Blues to sign him back in 2023.
It has been reported by Fabrizio Romano that United are in contact with Baleba and that the player would love to make the move to Old Trafford. He is currently with United forward Bryan Mbeumo at the African Cup of Nations as the pair aim to win the tournament with Cameroon.
However, Barber has moved to set out Brighton’s stance on selling Baleba this month and in the coming transfer windows.
He told the club website: “[We’ve had] no call from Old Trafford, no call from anyone connected to Manchester United. We have no plans or desire to sell Carlos Baleba in this window or any future window,” said Barber.
“We know he’s a talented player and I am sure he’s got a lot of options ahead of him in the future. For us he’s an important player in the second half of the season and we’re looking forward to having back from AFCON.”
The Red Devils need to begin strengthening their defensive midfield with Casemiro out of contract this summer and questions over Manuel Ugarte’s ability to be able to step into the role.
There are also reports linking the Uruguayan with an exit this month, as Galatasaray are interested in the midfielder.
Baleba could transform United’s midfield and help to add more consistency to Ruben Amorim’s squad. There has been improvement under the former Sporting CP boss this campaign but United remain adrift in the race for the Champions League spots and have had some poor results along with their positive ones.
Baleba is not the only defensive midfielder linked with United as Adam Wharton, Elliott Anderson and Conor Gallagher are also on their radar. Anderson would also cost around £100m and is attracting interest from Manchester City while Wharton is valued highly too.
Gallagher is widely reported to be available for around £26m and might prove to be the most affordable option for the Red Devils. The Atletico Madrid man does have experience in the Premier League with Chelsea and Crystal Palace.