Manchester United pause Carlos Baleba move as injury and £48m valuation stall talks

Manchester United have put their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba on hold after the Cameroon international suffered an injury, while the Premier League club’s £48m valuation of the 22-year-old continues to complicate negotiations.

Baleba is keen on a move to Manchester United, and the Old Trafford club have been impressed by his physical presence in midfield. However, discussions between the two clubs are currently frozen, with recent developments creating significant obstacles to a potential transfer.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Baleba’s injury has become the main immediate problem in the negotiations. Manchester United have decided to pause talks while they assess the seriousness of the issue and wait for greater clarity over the player’s condition.

The club does not want to rush into an agreement while there are still questions surrounding the midfielder’s fitness. As a result, conversations with Brighton have been placed on hold rather than ended altogether.

Brighton’s asking price is another major barrier. The Seagulls are unwilling to sell Baleba cheaply and have maintained high financial demands for a player they value highly. Manchester United would therefore need either to increase their offer or reach a compromise with Brighton for the transfer to go ahead this summer.

Despite the current stand-off, interest remains on both sides. Baleba continues to be attracted by the prospect of joining Manchester United, while the Red Devils still regard the midfielder as an appealing profile for their squad. The temporary suspension of negotiations has not entirely ended the English club’s interest.

Baleba joined Brighton and remains under contract with the club until 2028. The midfielder, who was born in Douala, is currently valued at 55m euros by Transfermarkt. His reported annual salary is 756,162 euros, equivalent to 491,505,300 FCFA.

Brighton are set to begin their English league campaign against Aston Villa. According to the betting company 1xBet, Brighton are priced at 2.25 to win the match, with a draw listed at 3.60 and an Aston Villa victory at 2.88.

For now, however, the focus of the Baleba deal remains on two unresolved issues: whether the player’s injury will allow negotiations to resume and whether Manchester United are prepared to meet Brighton’s valuation. Until those matters are settled, the proposed move to Manchester remains stalled, although the possibility has not been ruled out.