Manchester United‘s priority is to strengthen their midfield during the winter transfer window and Carlos Baleba is clearly a solution being considered. But the case is becoming even more complicated with a new heavyweight entering the race.
This summer, Manchester United already tried to secure Carlos Baleba's services but the transfer did not materialise, notably because the English club spent heavily to rebuild their attacking sector and Brighton were very demanding in negotiations, asking for £100m. Nevertheless, the Red Devils have not abandoned this target and will return to the charge this winter.
However, Carlos Baleba is a particularly coveted player in the transfer market, in the Premier League notably with Tottenham and Liverpool, but not only. Indeed, according to information from journalist Philipp Kessler, Bayern Munich believe the Cameroon midfielder could perfectly blend into the Munich collective. An offensive is not to be ruled out in 2026.
Bayern cast shadow over Manchester United
The German journalist adds that Bayern Munich would be prepared to offer €85m (£73m) to Brighton, an amount that, evidently, is insufficient. The Seagulls remain intransigent and the package will need to rise to at least €100m (£85m) to hope to sign the 21-year-old player. The Bavarian giants believe Carlos Baleba has the ideal profile to succeed Leon Goretzka, who reaches the end of his contract in June 2026.
A Carlos Baleba departure during the winter transfer window seems rather unlikely but next summer, the former Lille midfielder will certainly be at the heart of interest from a plethora of European heavyweights, including presumably Bayern Munich. The Munich side's superb first half of the season could attract the Cameroon international (11 caps) even if financially, Manchester United have stronger arguments.
This article was originally published on Top Mercato.
