‘Bullish Ruben Amorim to force Carlos Baleba signing at Man United, it’s now or never’
Ruben Amorim has been told to get the Carlos Baleba deal over-the-line in a bid to bolster the Man United midfield before the opportunity is lost entirely.
In their pursuit of the Cameroonian, Man United have made contact with Baleba and Brighton but the club have made it clear he is not up for sale.
The 21-year-old dazzled in his second season for the club and is quickly rising up the league as one of the Premier League’s finest holding midfielders.
Football Insider suggested three midfielders Man United should move for as the Baleba deal stalls, yet the club are still eager to fortify their relatively weak midfield.
The Seagulls are typically tricky sellers who have a track record of getting huge fees, mainly out of Chelsea, and won’t let the African leave on the cheap.
Man United need to move fast before ‘Real Madrid and the like’ swoop in for Baleba
Speaking on talkSPORT (8 August), former Watford hitman Troy Deeney boldly stated that the Red Devils must act fast to snatch up the 21-year-old.
The Englishman said: “I think United have to get him [Baleba] this window or they don’t get him.
“If he has another good season, I do think other teams with Real Madrid and the like will come in and go ‘Bosh, we’ll have him’.
“I think if Man U want him…if I’m [Ruben] Amorim I’m kind of bullish on that. ‘Get this deal done because then I can get you into Europe’.”
Ruben Amorim will be content with the midfield he has got
Football Insider verdict
Without diminishing the excellence of Baleba, following a huge expenditure this summer on the likes of Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig the Red Devils cannot afford to bring in the Cameroonian.
Taking a glance at the midfielders currently available to the former Sporting CP manager, a central duo of Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes seems solid for the start of the new season.
Kobbie Mainoo will also be waiting in the wings to impress to try and secure a spot on the plane to North America for the 2026 World Cup.
| Man United centre-midfielders | Age |
| Bruno Fernandes | 30 |
| Casemiro | 33 |
| Kobbie Mainoo | 20 |
| Mason Mount | 26 |
| Manuel Ugarte | 24 |
| Toby Collyer | 21 |
Toby Collyer is also highly rated and may get more of a chance in the upcoming campaign after making six appearances in the Premier League 2024-25.
Moreover, Mason Mount came back to a decent level of form at the back end of last season and will be pushing to play more regular football by impressing his manager.
With no Europe, Amorim can focus purely on domestic football, which should benefit the project and bring the best out of his current set of midfielders.