Carlos Baleba to Man Utd: Brighton set valuation as player makes feelings clear

Brighton are demanding €120million (£104m) for Carlos Baleba, with Manchester United eyeing a move for the midfielder. The Red Devils have made contact with Brighton over Baleba, but are aware a deal may be unrealistic this summer.

United have spent more than £130m so far this summer to bring in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon, while Benjamin Sesko is set to complete a £74m move to Old Trafford after flying into the UK for a medical.

However, Ruben Amorim is hoping to continue strengthening his squad and the United boss is a big fan of Baleba. According to ESPN, Brighton have set an asking price of £104m for the 21-year-old.

The report states that both United and Manchester City are interested in Baleba and claim that the Red Devils' move for Sesko will make it 'more difficult' for them to sign the Cameroon international.

Baleba is also said to be happy to remain at Brighton for another season, with a big move more likely to occur next summer. If Baleba does leave Brighton, he will become the latest player to earn a big-money move after impressing for the Seagulls.

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Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro have all been signed by Chelsea in recent seasons, while Arsenal have previously raided Brighton for Ben White and Leandro Trossard.

Alexis Mac Allister has become a Premier League winner after leaving Brighton for Liverpool, while Tottenham spent around £30m to sign Yves Bissouma. Baleba has impressed in his three seasons at Brighton, having been signed from Lille in 2023 as a replacement for Caicedo.

When asked about Baleba's future, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber told BBC Sussex: "We've got some great talent, there's always going to be interest in our players. Manchester United have not been in touch with me.

"So from that point of view, speculation is speculation. We will always try to make sure we sell our best players at the right time, not just for the player but for us. If we end up doing that with any player, it's with the view to leave Fabian [Hurzeler] with a very competitive squad, whatever happens.

"We don't want to sell our best players. Carlos is a fantastic talent who has a lot of years ahead of him. We hope he will be here for many years to come. But it's something that, as always, is subjective to the dynamics of the football world which isn't always predictable."

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