Man Utd’s midfield plans thrown into chaos by Baleba injury blow

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Fabrizio Romano says that Manchester United’s summer transfer plans have been thrown into a state of chaos due to an injury sustained by Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.

United have been exceptionally patient in the market for a third central midfielder, with the Old Trafford club determined not to overpay out of desperation.

The likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes have all been passed up by United because of their astronomical transfer fees, and instead they have opted for a more measured approach, snapping up Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for comparative bargains.

Current ETV

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

Carlos Baleba

DM, M (C)

Brighton

€53.5M

ETV Range

€48.1M - €58.8M

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Baleba had been in the Red Devils’ sights as a third central midfield signing of the summer, but Romano has now discounted this deal after the Cameroon international suffered a physical glitch.

“Man United at the moment are not proceeding with the Carlos Baleba deal,” Romano explained.

“The injury is not a six- or seven-month injury, so it's not a super-long one, but it's still an injury.

“And at the moment for Manchester United, this could be a point, this could be eventually an issue, a problem for the Carlos Baleba deal.

“So at the moment, we have to consider that one as more complicated.

“The player has been pushing like crazy in summer 2025 and again this summer, 2026, to go to Manchester United. But now this injury is obviously not helping.

“Let's see what Man United will decide on Baleba and on the other candidates for midfield in the next days.”

How long will Baleba be out for?

Baleba suffered an ankle ligament injury during a training session at the club’s pre-season camp in Vienna, which prompted him to miss the 4-3 friendly win over Strasbourg.

The Argus reports that there were grave fears for the 22-year-old initially, but these have since been allayed by the club.

A scan has shown that Baleba will be out for “a few weeks”, suggesting that he will be sidelined beyond the end of the transfer window.

Given the uncertainty that this has prompted, Man Utd have taken a step back from negotiations for the moment and will doubtless be exploring other options.

Romano has not indicated that they have killed off the possibility of a deal later in the window, but this is certainly an unwelcome complication.

Carrick’s shopping list

The Red Devils still have a lot of work to do in the transfer window to get Michael Carrick’s squad into a state that is suitable to compete in the Champions League.

As well as a third central midfielder, United are also exploring the possibility of signing a left-back to act as competition for Luke Shaw and potentially a centre-back.

Another attacker is also a possibility, but if United fail to find a club for Marcus Rashford, Carrick appears willing to reintegrate the former Barcelona loan star back into his squad.