Man Utd Transfer News Today: Carlos Baleba deal done as talks for next signing start

22 Aug 2026 19:32 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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All the latest Man Utd transfer news in one place, including updates on Carlos Baleba, Alejandro Balde and Joshua Zirkzee.

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Baleba deal agreed

Man Utd have reached an agreement with Brighton to sign Carlos Baleba.

The Athletic reports that the Red Devils will pay a guaranteed fee of €76 million plus a potential further €5.8m in bonuses for the Cameroon international. Baleba will sign a five-year contract with the option for an additional season.

Baleba is currently recovering from an injury, but it is not believed to be as serious as initially suspected, hence the club's willingness to now make a move for the 22-year-old after all.

Balde state of play

According to Fabrizio Romano, it is not yet clear if Alejandro Balde will leave Barcelona before the deadline.

Man Utd recently enquired about the Spain international in their search for a new left-back, and it is believed that Barcelona would listen to suitable offers. However, the player initially planned to stay this summer.

The signing of Joao Cancelo could yet change his thinking. At this stage, however, it is a "50/50 situation." Reports in Spain have revealed that Balde met with his agent Jorge Mendes on Friday to discuss his future.

When asked about Balde's future, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said on Saturday: "It's a difficult question, really, because Balde has enormous quality. For me, it's important: do you have the conviction to compete in your position? This is what I want to see from every player."

Villa keeping an eye on Zirkzee

Fabrizio Romano has also revealed that Aston Villa could make a move for Man Utd forward Joshua Zirkzee if they fail to agree a deal with Chelsea for Nicolas Jackson.

The Netherlands international is a key target for several Serie A clubs such as Juventus and Napoli, but both clubs need to make sales before they can pursue a move, hence the lack of progress regarding a potential exit of Zirkzee recently.

Villa have now also entered the conversation with an enquiry for the versatile attacker. Should Ollie Watkins leave and Jackson prove unattainable, Zirkzee could become a serious option for Unai Emery.

Carrick doesn't expect sales

Despite the interest in Zirkzee, Michael Carrick says that he does not expect any more departures from the squad.

When asked whether any players had expressed a desire to leave before the deadline, Carrick insisted: "Not to me, no." He added that the team would stay together until "at least" January.

"I don't know what's going to come out, you know. I don't know what's going to come at us from elsewhere [in terms of offers]. We can control what we can control. I'm really happy with the squad we've got so far, and if not, we want to improve it."