Man Utd’s Plan B to Baleba revealed

Robin Bairner

• 1 Oct 2025 05:01 CDT
• 8 min read

News

Manchester United’s chase for Carlos Baleba at the end of the summer transfer window was one that was well documented.

In need of a tireless central midfielder to fit into Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, the Red Devils chased the Brighton star but were told quite simply that he was not for sale. The Seagulls are expected to demand upwards of £87 million (€100m) for Baleba when the market next opens.

It leaves Amorim’s side in a complicated spot, and with their Premier League rivals demanding so much for the 21-year-old, they are understandably looking at alternatives.

According to reports, Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher has emerged as the ‘Plan B’ option for Man Utd – yet the former Chelsea man may just prove to be a smarter signing for three reasons.

Instant impact

Signing young players to develop into world stars has become the fashion thanks to Chelsea’s extreme approach in the transfer market, yet there is little doubt that Man Utd need answers now.

Amorim’s side sit mired in the lower half of the Premier League table for the second season running. It’s simply an unacceptable state of affairs for such a club.

While Baleba is likely to develop into a better midfielder than Gallagher in the long run, the England international is better placed to give United the instant impact they need, according to data analytics firm SciSports, which shows that the Cameroon star still has some way to go to be stronger than the 25-year-old.

Fit

Gallagher is better suited to playing for Man Utd than Baleba is. At least that’s the opinion of SciSports, whose Career Advice tool shows that the Epsom-born star is a better fit for the Red Devils.

When analysing all of Gallagher’s options, United land a Club Fit score of 73. Yes, it’s weak in terms of his potential development, but his opportunities for playing time are huge, and the formation is one that fits him perfectly.

Baleba, by contrast, has a Club Fit score of 70. The former Lille player is given just one star for development, which is crucial given that United would essentially be signing him based on his future ability. If he is incapable of reaching that at Old Trafford, is there even any point in doing the deal?

Value for money

Tied into future ability is the cost of the player. Brighton have pinned a huge transfer fee on Baleba, not based on how good he is now, but how good he could potentially become. This makes him a risky proposition.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is £49.48m (€56.7m), yet the Seagulls are asking for twice that amount.

With doubts over whether Baleba can even develop into becoming the best version of himself at Old Trafford, United have to question whether it’s worth paying a bank-busting fee.

Compared

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

VS

Conor Gallagher

M (CL), DM (C)

Atlético Madrid

Conor Gallagher

M (CL), DM (C)

Atlético Madrid

€56.7M	ETV	€40.6M
€51M - €62.3M	ETV Range	€36.6M - €44.7M
21 years old (03 Jan, 2004)	Age	25 years old (06 Feb, 2000)
Cameroon	Nationality	England

Gallagher comes cheaper, with an ETV of £35.43m (€40.6m). Almost exclusively a substitute for Diego Simeone’s side this year, they will be significantly less demanding when it comes to fighting over a fee.

Snapping up Gallagher ahead of Baleba, therefore, makes sense on three levels for Man Utd: his current level is higher, he’s a better fit for the team and they would get improved value for money.

Plan B is suddenly starting to look better than the original ideal.

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