Carlos Baleba ends hopes of joining Manchester United

Manchester United have been busy reshaping their midfield this summer, adding fresh quality as Michael Carrick continues to build a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts.

The arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have already strengthened the engine room, while the club continues to assess long-term options for future windows.

Throughout the past year, several midfielders have been monitored by United as the club explored different profiles.

One player consistently linked with a move to Old Trafford now appears to have suffered an unfortunate setback before the new campaign even begins.

Carlos Baleba suffers blow in hopes of joining Manchester United

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba has sustained an ankle ligament injury during pre-season and is now a doubt for the start of the 2026/27 season, as reported by The Athletic.

The Cameroon international missed Brighton’s 4-3 victory over Strasbourg at the weekend after picking up the problem in training.

Brighton remain hopeful the injury will not prove to be a long-term issue, although the 22-year-old is expected to spend a spell on the sidelines while recovering.

Carlos Baleba has remained firmly on Manchester United’s radar across multiple transfer windows.

Centre Devils exclusively revealed back in March that United had held talks regarding the midfielder, while his representatives also made contact to explore the possibility of a move to Old Trafford.

United had even reached broad agreement on personal terms with Baleba last summer before ultimately deciding against completing a transfer.

Instead, Carrick’s side strengthened elsewhere by bringing in Tielemans and Santos, leaving Baleba at Brighton for another season.

The midfielder also attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur, with several Premier League clubs continuing to admire his potential.

Last season, Baleba featured in 31 Premier League matches, making 23 starts for Brighton.

Given United’s midfield business this summer, Baleba was already becoming an increasingly unlikely signing.

Now, with the injury disrupting the beginning of his season, any lingering hopes of a move to Manchester United appear to have been put firmly on hold.