Baleba Declares Dream Move to Manchester United Only! Willing to Help Reduce the Hundred-Million Price Tag, Transfer Possibly for 70 Million

In just one week, Manchester United has failed three times to secure their midfield targets, with Elliot Anderson signing for Manchester City, and Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali moving to Tottenham. Disappointed, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is eager to find players who dream exclusively of wearing the Red Devils' jersey. Brighton's Carlos Baleba fits this description perfectly!

According to "Offside Insight," the 22-year-old Cameroonian midfielder has expressed that United is his dream club and hopes to transfer this summer. Last year, Manchester United had already reached a personal agreement with Baleba, which remains valid. Brighton values Baleba at £100 million and maintains this price tag.

However, Baleba is willing to assist Manchester United in negotiations to lower his price to around £70 million. Brighton is not a club that easily parts with its players, as evidenced by the recent departure of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Despite van Hecke having only one year left on his contract, Brighton rejected several offers before eventually agreeing to a £52 million deal with Tottenham, also securing a 20% sell-on clause.

This highlights the impressive scouting and financial operations of the "Seagulls"; they signed van Hecke from Dutch club Breda in 2020 for just £1.8 million and now sold him for 30 times that amount. Baleba's contract still has two years left, giving Brighton more leverage in negotiations. However, if the player sides with Manchester United, the dynamics of the talks could shift.

Nevertheless, due to Baleba's underwhelming performance last season, it remains uncertain whether the Red Devils will take concrete action. If there were other options, Ratcliffe's team might not consider signing Baleba, as he, like Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, is considered a low-priority candidate.

Transfer expert Ben Jacobs stated: "Baleba is essentially waiting to see if Manchester United will prioritize him after missing out on so many other candidates. United needs to determine whether Baleba's valuation remains above £100 million in the current inflated market for midfielders or if it has dropped below the amount they were willing to pay last summer. However, it's clear that other players are ahead of Baleba on their list."

British media predicts that Manchester United believes Baleba's £70 million price tag is still too high. Ratcliffe's team values the player at only £50 million. However, Brighton will not agree to sell at this price; they would rather keep Baleba and continue to develop him to increase his value.

Jacobs elaborated: "I think Manchester United has other targets to pursue before Baleba. However, Baleba's transfer doesn't need to be prioritized because the situation is clear: the player wants to join United, and personal terms were already agreed upon last summer. So, if they want to initiate the transfer for Baleba, they only need to negotiate with Brighton. But if players like Tchouaméni or Scott become available in the market, they would be prioritized over Baleba."

This week, Manchester United has again been linked to Lille's Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, but Jacobs downplays United's chances: "Bouaddi is also a very interesting option. Although Manchester City leads the race, United has at least managed to get on the shortlist. Bayern and Chelsea are other clubs to watch. For Bouaddi, the situation might involve agreeing to sign him and then loaning him back to Lille for another season, which would be more appealing."

Aside from Baleba, the Daily Mail reports that Manchester United is also monitoring Brighton's Swedish international Yasin Ayari, who has been impressive in the World Cup. In Sweden's 5-1 victory over Tunisia, the 22-year-old midfielder scored twice. Ayari's strength lies in his physicality; he made 102 tackles in the Premier League last season, equaling Baleba's tally. Premier League clubs are aware of Ayari's situation, as he has one year left on his contract, though Brighton holds a one-year renewal option.

Another player who caught Manchester United's eye during the World Cup is Roma's Neil El Aynaoui. Also a Moroccan player, he performed on par with Bouaddi. The 25-year-old joined Roma from French club Lens last season, helping the team secure third place in Serie A and a return to the Champions League.