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

Carlos Baleba has passed a medical ahead of a reported move from Brighton to Manchester United, according to The Sun.

The Cameroon midfielder is expected to complete his transfer during the summer window, with an official announcement reportedly due today.

The proposed deal is worth £70m in total. Manchester United are set to pay £65m up front, with a further £5m available in add-ons.

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

The move would bring the midfielder to Old Trafford after only one full season with Brighton. The Premier League club signed Baleba 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 reportedly encouraged the French club to seek a significantly higher sum for Baleba than the amount Brighton had initially offered to sign him.

Baleba joined Lille from a football academy in Cameroon before making his move into European football. His development at the French club led to Brighton completing the transfer in 2023, when the midfielder was brought in to help fill the gap left by Caicedo.

If completed, the reported £70m package would make Baleba one of Manchester United’s major signings and would represent a substantial profit for Brighton on the €27m they paid Lille three years ago.

However, the transfer remains subject to the formal announcement. The Sun’s report says the medical has been completed and that confirmation of the move is expected today. Until that announcement is made, the details of the agreement remain based on the reported terms: an initial £65m payment, £5m in potential bonuses and a contract running for five seasons, with the possibility of a further year.

Baleba’s proposed arrival would continue Manchester United’s pursuit of midfield reinforcements during the summer transfer window. For Brighton, it would represent the latest significant change to the midfield group that previously included Caicedo, whose move to Chelsea followed his development at the club.

The Cameroon international’s route from an academy in his home country to Lille, then Brighton, has now reportedly taken him close to a move to Manchester United. The final step is expected to be the official confirmation of the transfer.