Baleva's Transfer Position to Manchester United: Eager to Join but Not Pressuring, Brighton's Price Must Be Met

Carlos Baleva missed Brighton's pre-season friendly against Wolfsburg, officially due to injury. However, Manchester United fans need not get too excited, as this is not a case of avoiding injury before a transfer; the 21-year-old Cameroonian midfielder is genuinely injured! He experienced knee issues during training in Malaga, Spain, about a month ago and has already missed three matches. Brighton's head coach, Fabian Hulzeler, stated, "He trained today and also trained yesterday; we don't want to take risks, but he will be back."

Manchester United has already contacted Baleva through intermediaries, and the player personally wishes to join the Red Devils. This is not surprising, as despite the Red Devils' recent decline, their status is still significantly higher than Brighton's, and their financial compensation is more attractive. Therefore, Baleva and his agent are very keen to make the move to Old Trafford.

Renowned Manchester United correspondent Andy Mitten even revealed that Baleva's agent is willing to reduce their commission to facilitate the deal. "If you ask Manchester United if they want Baleva, of course they do; if you ask the player if he wants to join Manchester United, the answer is definitely yes. The agent may also need to accept a lower fee than expected, and we will see how this unfolds in the coming weeks."

Discussing the possibility of Baleva's transfer, Mitten analyzed, "If you ask Brighton whether they would lower the price to sell this player, that clearly won't happen, so someone will need to make compromises. Some players from Manchester United might attract Brighton in a swap, but they will have to accept wage cuts, similar to what happened with Rashford going to Barcelona."

The key to Baleva's transfer does not lie in whether the player wants to join Manchester United; the decision rests with Brighton. Brighton is one of the clubs in the Premier League with the highest revenue from player sales, and if Manchester United wants to acquire Baleva, they will have to pay a substantial fee, reportedly exceeding £100 million.

Transfer expert David Ornstein from "Athletic" stated, "Brighton has made it clear multiple times that they would ideally like to keep Baleva for at least another year. He has three years left on his contract, plus an option for an additional year. We see Brighton's financial situation; they will only sell if they are genuinely willing to do so, and they must do so at their desired price."

It is reported that Baleva's stance is clear: he is willing to join Manchester United, but the latter must convince Brighton to let him go; he will not force a transfer on his team. He is also quite happy to stay with the "Seagulls" for another year, as that might better aid his development, and transferring next year would not hinder his search for an ideal destination.

Ornstein explained, "You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand that a player of Baleva's caliber, with his one-on-one confrontations, leg strength, and the youth and quality he possesses, can change a team's midfield. I'm sure Amorim would support the proposal to bring him in. It's also undeniable that any player would be interested when presented with such an opportunity in their career. However, we don't believe Baleva would be unhappy staying at Brighton; I must emphasize this. It's still unlikely that Manchester United will sign him this summer, which is the term we used in our reporting, but that doesn't prevent them from trying."

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also confirmed that Amorim likes Baleva, and Manchester United has contacted his agent team but has yet to negotiate with Brighton. Romano said, "Manchester United is still in contact with Baleva's agent, and discussions are ongoing, but they genuinely believe this transfer is very complex and difficult, so there hasn't been any concrete progress yet."

Romano added, "Manchester United has begun their actions, calmly observing what will happen next. Clearly, if the opportunity arises, Baleva is considered the perfect midfielder, a player favored by coach Amorim. However, Brighton's asking price is currently very high, so this is not an easy deal to finalize, nor is it something that can be done quickly; don’t expect a quick purchase. Manchester United is still in contact, while Brighton maintains their stance; they do not wish to sell this summer."