Manchester United agree £70m deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba

Manchester United have completed an agreement to sign Cameroon international Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion, with all documents for the transfer signed, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. An official announcement is expected shortly.

Romano reported that the deal has been confirmed with complete certainty and is worth an initial £65m, with a further £5m available in potential add-ons. The total value of the agreement could therefore reach £70m.

Baleba, who is 22, is expected to sign a five-year contract with Manchester United. The proposed agreement is also understood to include the option of extending his stay for an additional season.

The move would bring an end to Baleba’s time at Brighton after two seasons with the club. Brighton signed the midfielder from Lille for £27m in the summer of 2023, bringing him in as a replacement for Ecuador international Moises Caicedo.

Caicedo had left Brighton for Chelsea in a deal worth £115m. That transfer fee encouraged Lille to seek a significant increase on the sum Brighton had initially paid to sign Baleba.

Baleba joined Lille after developing at a football academy in Cameroon. His transfer to Brighton in 2023 came as the English club looked to fill the gap created by Caicedo’s departure.

Manchester United’s agreement with Brighton represents a substantial rise on the fee involved when the Seagulls acquired Baleba from Lille. The deal is structured around the £65m guaranteed payment, while the additional £5m depends on the agreed conditions being met.

According to Romano, the clubs have now completed the paperwork, leaving the formal announcement as the next step in the process. Baleba is set to commit to Manchester United for five seasons, with the possibility of a further year included in the prospective contract.

The Cameroon midfielder’s career has so far taken him from an academy in his home country to Lille and then Brighton. His move to Manchester United would be the latest stage of that progression, while also making him the subject of a transfer worth considerably more than the fee Brighton paid for him in 2023.

The agreement remains centred on a £65m fee plus £5m in add-ons, with the documentation signed and confirmation of the transfer expected imminently.