Man Utd face huge transfer tag for £100m valued Baleba but 'have plan to lure him'

Manchester United would have to break their own transfer record to sign Carlos Baleba this summer with the club having contacted the player's agent.

The Reds are in pole position to sign him but they are facing tough resistance from Brighton

Despite a clear desire from new manager Ruben Amorim to add the dynamic midfielder to his squad, United are facing a number of significant hurdles.

A transfer fee for the highly-rated 21-year-old is believed to be in excess of £100 million, a figure Brighton are under no pressure to lower following a record-breaking turnover for the 2023-24 season, reported The Sun.

Furthermore, Baleba himself is reportedly happy on the south coast and is not looking to force a move.

While he has been linked with several top clubs, the Cameroonian has previously expressed his desire to focus on his development at Brighton.

This, coupled with reported interest from rivals like Manchester City, gives Brighton the upper hand in any potential negotiations.

The challenge comes as United are in the process of a major squad rebuild under Amorim. With the club-record signing of Benjamin Sesko imminent for a fee of £73.3m, United's spending is already significant.

To fund a move for Baleba, the club would likely need to offload several players, with the futures of Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund already in question amid interest from Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively.

While Baleba remains a top target, United may be forced to look at alternative options or wait until a future transfer window to reignite their pursuit.

Brighton chief Paul Barber recently denied that United had made an approach.

He said: "There is always going to be interest in our players. Manchester United have not been in touch with me, speculation is speculation.

"Carlos is a fantastic talent and we hope he will be here for years to come. But it’s subject to the dynamics of the football world, which is not always predictable."

But United do have an option that could serve them well, reports the Manchester Evening News - if it is unrealistic to buy Baleba in this window then he would be a good option for next summer and be a replacement for Casemiro.