They are working at full speed at Old Trafford this season, naturally enough after having delivered miserably for several years in a row.
Carlos Baleba made 40 appearances for Brighton in all competitions last season.
Read: Carlos Baleba breaks his own ‘unwritten rule’ if he goes to Manchester United
Manchester United’s deal to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško for £74 million will bring their summer budget for the attacking line over £200 million. But now the question is asked: Who will play in midfield?
Manager Rúben Amorim was determined to increase his team’s goal production after scoring just 44 goals in the league last season – their worst result since relegation in 1973-74.
Šeško will be the third attacking signing this summer, after Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. But midfield remains a problem for United, with uncertainty surrounding several of the players competing for the two spots.
This has led the club to discreetly explore the terms of signing Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton.
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Amorim’s system and Fernandes’ new role
Amorim’s system involves two deep-lying midfielders, wing-backs who press high, two inward-pulling attackers and a striker.
It is believed that Šeško will be the striker, with Matheus Cunha behind him on the left and Bryan Mbeumo on the right. This would mean that captain Bruno Fernandes will have to take on one of the deepest midfield roles.
But Fernandes is many things – a box-to-box midfielder is not one of them.
Fernandes likes to roam freely, get the ball and find pockets of space. But the 30-year-old Portuguese is not the type who is always wary of danger, or who will run 10 meters to close spaces.
This seems like a problem, although Amorim dismissed it when asked about the midfield during the press conference in Chicago a few weeks ago:
“Bruno runs a lot. Maybe he’s not the fastest, but he has stamina. He’s smart. So it’s not about that. Bruno’s physique is not the concern. He is ready to play deep or as a midfielder.”
If this is true, why would United try to explore options for Baleba?
The Brighton player is precisely a box-to-box midfielder with energy, stamina, tackling strength and passing precision. More relevant: He is exactly the type of player Amorim does not have in the squad.
Ugarte, Mainoo and Casemiro – but do they have the right partner for Fernandes?
The closest Amorim has is Manuel Ugarte, but the Uruguayan midfielder has yet to show that he is worth the £50.8 million United paid PSG for him.
The fact that Ugarte sat on the bench for the entire Europa League final in May spoke volumes about his form. In Atlanta last Sunday, he lost the ball on his own penalty spot, which led to Everton’s equalizing goal. Ugarte has a weakness: He doesn’t always see the danger and exposes himself to pressure in dangerous areas.
Casemiro makes that mistake less often. The Brazilian has all the experience and understanding of the game Amorim needs. He was preferred next to Fernandes in Bilbao. But it’s clear that the 33-year-old Casemiro no longer moves like he used to – and whether he was ever a strong player is debatable, as he played alongside Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos in Madrid.
United also have Kobbie Mainoo. But when Amorim recently spoke about the squad, he compared the Englishman’s qualities to Fernandes’s. Mainoo’s strength is finding space and threatening the opponent’s goal.
It’s worth noting that in the European Championship final, Mainoo played in exactly the role Amorim uses – but next to him was Declan Rice, one of the world’s best defensive midfielders.
The one in the United squad who fits the role best is 21-year-old Toby Collyer. However, Collyer is unlikely to be preferred over Casemiro over time, and he is expected to be loaned out this summer.
Do they have to spend more money to solve the problem?
If no one at the club can fill the role, United will have to bring in someone. However, while they can sign Šeško without selling players (as the next PSR deadline is only 30 June 2026), they will need to get rid of redundant players – and more signings will require more departures.
Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia are part of the “bomb squad” who train alone while the club tries to find them new teams. Garnacho is in talks with Chelsea over a transfer.
Getting them all sold is not easy, and most of these transfers are expected to happen close to the September deadline. This means that United may have to wait for the next signing.
And so we are back to Baleba. Brighton have made it clear that they want a huge sum for the 21-year-old player – close to the £115 million Chelsea paid for Moisés Caicedo in 2022.
It’s hard to see how United can match such numbers this summer without more sales. But the problem is real: If not Baleba – who will fill the problematic midfield role?
