Manchester United have signed 22-year-old Cameroon international midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a deal worth up to 70 million pounds. The transfer consists of a 65 million pound fee plus 5 million pounds in add-ons and includes a sell-on clause. Baleba has signed a five-year contract with an option to extend for a sixth year, keeping him at the club until 2031.
The acquisition is part of a broader midfield rebuild under Michael Carrick following the departure of Casemiro and a serious knee injury to Manuel Ugarte. Baleba is the third midfielder signed this summer, following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea, bringing the club's total spending on midfielders to approximately 148 million pounds.
United director of football Jason Wilcox described Baleba as an elite midfielder with immense potential whose unique combination of qualities will complement the squad. In 31 Premier League games last season, Baleba ranked in the top 8% of players for combined tackles and interceptions as well as the top 1% for second balls won. Baleba stated it is an incredible feeling to join the club of his dreams and a real honor to play at Old Trafford.
The signing comes as United look to recover from a stunning 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull during the opening weekend of the Premier League.