Carlos Baleba sends message to Man Utd star as 'transfer contact made' over £100m deal

Carlos Baleba has seemingly sent Manchester United a subtle message by liking Leny Yoro's Instagram post. United are pushing hard to sign Brighton midfielder Baleba before the end of the summer transfer window.

Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim is in search of midfield reinforcements, having already splurged over £200million on a new attacking trio. Baleba, 21, is understood to be the man Amorim wants to shore things up in the centre of the park, having been left unconvinced by his current midfield options.

It was reported on Wednesday evening that United intermediaries had contacted Brighton to discuss possible terms for the Cameroon international. Baleba, who has three years left on his contract, is seen as one of the most promising young talents in his position. He has impressively filled the void left by Moises Caicedo in Brighton's midfield over the past two seasons.

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United, however, face an uphill battle to sign the player, with Brighton keen to keep Baleba for at least another year and having reportedly set a price tag of over £100m.

Yet, Baleba may have shown his preference towards a move by dropping a subtle hint to United, having liked Red Devils defender Yoro's recent Instagram post of the Frenchman representing United in pre-season. The two are close friends, having played together for Ligue 1 side Lille before Baleba moved to Brighton in 2023.

Despite the excitement surrounding Baleba's potential arrival at Old Trafford, Brighton's chief executive Paul Barber earlier this week dismissed rumours that United have approached them to discuss Baleba's transfer.

"We've got some great talent, there's always going to be interest in our players," he said. "Manchester United have not been in touch with me. From that point of view, speculation is speculation.

"We will always try to make sure we sell our best players at the right time, not just for the player but for us. If we end up doing that with any player, it's with the view to leave Fabian with a competitive squad, whatever happens. We don't want to sell our best players. Carlos is a fantastic talent who has a lot of years ahead of him.

"We hope he will be here for many years to come. But it's something that, as always, is subjective to the dynamics of the football world which isn't always predictable."

Baleba matches the profile of the midfielder Ineos has been targeting for United, considering his age, ability and top-flight experience. Club legend Rio Ferdinand also told United chiefs to prioritise a move for him over Benjamin Sesko last month, labelling him as a midfielder who can do it all.

It would certainly be a statement signing for the Red Devils, having already signed Sesko this week for £74m after beating Newcastle to the Slovenian's signature.

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