€75 million transfer: Manchester United close to signing Brighton player — The Athletic

Manchester United and Brighton are close to agreeing a deal for Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to The Athletic.

The club are reportedly ready to offer the 22-year-old a fee of €70m in cash and €5.8m in add-ons.   Talks between the clubs are ongoing and the two sides are working to reach an agreement on the 22-year-old's transfer.

Baleba is currently recovering from a calf injury. However, the injury is not serious and he is expected to return to action soon.

Manchester United have made strengthening their midfield a priority in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils have already signed Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andre Santos from Chelsea, respectively. An agreement was also reached for the transfer of Atalanta midfielder Ederson, but the club abandoned the deal due to concerns over the Brazilian's knee injury.

Manchester United were also interested in England international Elliot Anderson, but he chose to move to rivals Manchester City instead.

If Baleba's transfer goes through, he will join Michael Carrick's first-team midfield alongside Tielemans, Santos, Cobb Maino and Bruno Fernandes.

Manuel Ugarte is currently out with Uruguay after suffering a knee injury during the World Cup, while Mason Mount missed the final two pre-season games.

Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in the summer of 2023. He has made 112 appearances for the English club. He made 35 appearances for Brighton last season, missing several matches due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.