Man Utd get Baleba update as ‘very rich’ bid made

Robin Bairner

10 Oct 2025 06:38 BST
4 min read

Manchester United have been sent a positive message by Brighton over the future of Carlos Baleba after a “very rich” bid was tabled.

Article continues under the video

Ruben Amorim’s side chased the Cameroon international in the final days of the summer transfer window, but after making an initial bid did not follow it up after it was rejected.

Brighton told United that Baleba was not for sale at any price, partly doing so because there was not enough time for them to guarantee finding a replacement.

Current ETV

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

ETV Range

€50.5M - €61.7M

But the Red Devils have been given hope that a deal can be brokered in 2026, if not in January, then certainly in the summer, as the Seagulls are going shopping for a replacement for the 21-year-old.

According to Nicolo Schira, Brighton are making moves to sign 18-year-old Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis.

“Olympiacos turned down a very rich bid (around €40m) from Brighton for the young talent Christos Mouzakitis (born in 2006) during the last summer transfer window,” the transfer insider claims on X.

© IMAGO - Christos Mouzakitis, Olympiacos

What this means for Man Utd?

By attempting to sign Mouzakitis, it is effectively a confession from Brighton that they are bracing themselves to sell Baleba.

The Seagulls are a club that exists on trading players, buying them for a low price and then selling them high. In this case, this shows that if Man Utd put forward the right type of money for the former Lille star, they have options who can replace him.

Why Baleba is so important to Amorim

Man Utd’s midfield has been an area of weakness since Ruben Amorim took over a year ago, and there was widespread surprise when they elected not to strengthen that area in the summer. Instead, signings were focused on attack.

Baleba is seen as a perfect signing for Amorim. He has both the speed and stamina required to cover big areas of the pitch, physical attributes vital for the Portuguese manager’s 3-4-3 formation to succeed.

The youngster is seen as a dream defensive anchor for this system, and a player Man Utd will do everything in their power to sign. It appears that United are willing to go well above Baleba’s €57m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) to sign him.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store