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Man Utd ROCKED by €100m Liverpool hijack
Cameron Smith
- 4 Jan 2026 09:07 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Liverpool are reportedly eager to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba this year, despite his recent dip in form.
The Cameroon international, who is currently participating at the Africa Cup of Nations, was widely tipped to leave the AMEX Stadium last summer after agreeing personal terms with Manchester United.
Current ETV
Carlos Baleba
DM, M (C)
Brighton
Carlos Baleba
DM, M (C)
Brighton
ETV Range
€62.4M - €76.3M
However, Ruben Amorim’s side were unwilling to match Brighton’s asking price and the proposed deal collapsed during the final week of the summer transfer window.
Baleba’s form has dipped following his failed move to Old Trafford and it has been reported that Man Utd officials have paused their interest in his signature as a result.
Brighton are still expecting to receive fresh enquiries for the 22-year-old this month and TEAMtalk now claim that Liverpool have burst into the race for his signature amid their pursuit of a new central midfielder.
The Reds have been linked with Adam Wharton, Kees Smit and several other midfielders across Europe in recent months, but they have now registered their interest in landing Baleba.
It’s suggested that Brighton have lowered their asking price to €100 million and although this figure is still deemed excessive by the Man Utd hierarchy, Liverpool are tempted to seriously pursue a deal.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are also keeping tabs on Baleba, but reports hint they are currently focused on other targets for January.
Carlos Baleba to Liverpool?
Liverpool spent a whopping €482.9 million on seven new players last summer, however they are expected to dip back into the market in 2026 due to the fact Arne Slot still has a relatively thin first-team squad at his disposal.
In addition to Baleba, the club are also expected to target a new central defender and a new winger this year, while they could be tempted to pursue a centre forward in January following the broken leg suffered by Alexander Isak last month.
Marc Guehi and Joel Ordonez have both been earmarked as key centre-back targets by the Reds board, and the club have also been linked with a move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande.
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