Carlos Baleba saga to rumble on?! Man Utd to keep tabs on Brighton midfielder after pulling plug on £100m+ pursuit this summer

Brighton & Hove Albion FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League

Manchester United will continue to monitor Carlos Baleba throughout the season after pulling the plug on their pursuit of the midfielder this summer. United, who were keen on signing the youngster in this window at Ruben Amorim's behest, decided to pull out of the deal on Friday after Brighton reportedly demanded a whopping £115 million ($156m), an amount they received from Moises Caicedo's transfer to Chelsea.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Athletic reported on August 15 that United are no longer chasing Baleba after learning Brighton's massive asking price. The Red Devils were not willing to meet Brighton's demands, nor were the south-coast club minded to sell their first-team star, and that led to an impasse in negotiations.

Southampton FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier League

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Fabrizio Romano now reports that despite ending their pursuit of Baleba this year, United are keeping tabs on the midfield sensation and are likely to return with a fresh offer to sign the Cameroonian next summer. Amorim is known to be an admirer of the youngster and considers him as a perfect fit in his system.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite their failure to land Baleba, United have done a commendable job in the ongoing transfer window, at least in terms of bolstering the team's attack. They have brought in Matheus Cunha from Wolves, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and finally secured a big money transfer for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko.

Manchester United v ACF Fiorentina - Pre-Season Friendly

WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, Amorim's side are determined to start the new season on a high as they take on Arsenal in their season opener at Old Trafford on Sunday.