Man United have 'settled' on Carlos Baleba after they 'failed' to land top target
Manchester United have been forced to settle on signing Carlos Baleba after missing out on their top midfield targets.
The 22-year-old has now completed a medical at Old Trafford following an agreement over a £70million fee with Brighton, and the deal could be announced later today.
However, there are lingering concerns behind the scenes about whether the Cameroon international is the right fit for Michael Carrick's midfield.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the Red Devils have been forced way down their shortlist of targets, with Baleba the "fifth or sixth choice".
This comes after other targets, notably including the likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, were snapped up by their Premier League rivals.
Baleba has long been admired at Old Trafford, but after his performances last season, there are concerns that he may not have been the best target for Carrick's side.
Why are Man United signing Carlos Baleba?
Football Insider revealed on 22 August that Baleba is close to finalising a move to Man United as part of their plans to overhaul their midfield in the summer transfer window.
Youri Tielemans and Adnrey Santos were signed earlier in the window, with a third option having been worked on behind the scenes for weeks now.
Baleba has now emerged as that third option, and while Man United are happy to have got a deal over the line at last, concerns about whether he is the right fit have lingered.
"There are still a lot of concerns about Carlos Baleba," Brown told Football Insider.
"Man United wanted him last summer, and that made a lot of sense to me because his performances for Brighton had certainly warranted that level of interest in a move.
"However, I didn't see that same player last season, he looked slow, inconsistent, lazy at times, and that's going to be a concern for Man United.
"If they're getting Baleba from last season, then it's not a good deal, they just have to hope they can help him get back to his best.
"The problem is, they've failed to sign so many of their top targets that they've now been forced to consider their fifth or sixth options in midfield, and that's not ideal for any club.
"You're looking further and further down the pecking order, and it seems Baleba is the one they've settled on. Is he the ideal replacement for Casemiro? I don't think so.
"Those concerns they've had before will still be there, no doubt, so it's just about whether he can up his game now."
What are Man United's concerns about Baleba?
Man United's concerns about Baleba emerged shortly after they failed to land his signing last summer, when Fabian Hurzeler confessed his head had been turned by the interest.
That led to a season of inconsistent performances which saw him start just 23 Premier League games, as question marks were raised about his attitude.
Brown told Football Insider in June that Man United had cooled their interest in Baleba and were instead assessing other targets after what they saw throughout the season.
However, having now missed out on those other targets and with just weeks remaining in the transfer window, they are now hopeful they can get him back to his best.
Man United believe they can unlock the player whose performances earned him a £100million price tag last summer, despite what was a disappointing season.