Manchester United have reached an agreement worth as much as £70m to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.
Negotiations between the clubs made decisive progress on Friday evening, allowing the 22-year-old to undergo a medical with the Old Trafford side this weekend.
United turned their attention to the Cameroon international this week as they sought another midfield addition following the signings of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
The agreement includes an upfront payment of £65m, with another £5m available through performance-related bonuses. The Seagulls have also secured a future sell-on percentage.
Baleba arrived at Brighton from Lille in 2023 but is currently recovering from an ankle problem sustained during the club’s pre-season camp in Austria.
Completing the transfer would increase United’s total summer expenditure to £153m.
Even so, the final price is considerably lower than Brighton’s valuation as the 2025 transfer window neared its deadline.
United must now decide whether to pursue a left-back capable of competing with Luke Shaw. Baleba has occasionally featured in that role, while natural right-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have also played on the opposite side and could offer head coach Michael Carrick sufficient cover.
The move concludes United’s effort to reinforce their midfield after experienced Brazilian Casemiro departed when his contract came to an end.
Manuel Ugarte had also been expected to move on this summer, although a severe knee injury suffered while representing Uruguay at the World Cup changed those plans.
Alongside new arrivals Santos and Tielemans, England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will be available for Saturday’s lunchtime Premier League visit to newly promoted Hull City.
Baleba is expected to add greater energy and physical strength to Carrick’s squad, while his strong desire to complete the move north helped the negotiations advance more quickly.
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