OFFICIAL: Man United complete £70m Baleba signing from Brighton
Manchester United have completed the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a deal worth an initial £65 million, with a further £5m available in add-ons.
The Cameroon international has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford, with the club holding an option to extend his stay for another year.
Stay updated: Set GistReel as a favorite source on Google to catch our stories first.
Baleba becomes United’s third major midfield addition of the summer after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, taking the club’s spending in the position to around £150m.
Baleba calls United move a dream
The 22-year-old said joining United represented a significant moment in his career and expressed his desire to help the club return to the top.
“It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams,” Baleba said.
“Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.”
He also welcomed the chance to work with head coach Michael Carrick, saying the former United midfielder’s experience could help him develop further.
“I cannot wait to work with Michael Carrick – his experience and knowledge of the game make him the perfect coach to help me to reach the highest level,” he added.
Brighton protect future earnings
Baleba’s transfer represents a significant reduction from the valuation Brighton placed on the midfielder last summer, when United were reportedly quoted a fee of more than £100m.
The Seagulls have, however, included a sell-on clause in the agreement, giving them the opportunity to benefit financially if United eventually sell the player.
Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in 2023 for about £23.2m and went on to make 112 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.
His final appearance for Brighton came against United on the final day of last season.
The midfielder endured an injury-hit pre-season and is not expected to return until September after suffering an ankle problem.
United see Baleba as another option for the two deeper midfield positions, where he will compete with Santos, Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo.
He can also operate at left-back, potentially providing additional cover for Luke Shaw during a demanding domestic and European campaign.