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Bayern Munich are “not working on a deal” for Carlos Baleba after being told where the Manchester United target wants to play next season, Fabrizio Romano reveals.
A wanted man
Baleba, 21, has emerged as one of the best young defensive midfielders in Europe since joining Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2023.
Combining speed and power with excellent dribbling and sharp passing, the Cameroon international is able to dominate transitions both with and without the ball.
Ruben Amorim is enamored with Baleba’s skills and United made overtures to sign him last summer, believing he would fit in ‘ideally’ into the Portuguese coach’s demanding system. However, a deal never progressed beyond the initial discussions.
A deal was struck with the player himself, but Brighton refused to entertain offers for their starlet, believing it would take a fee in the region of what Chelsea paid for Moisés Caicedo – £115m – to bring the Seagulls to the negotiating table.
United are expected to return to the south coast next summer, with Romano revealing that the club is still “absolutely interested in the player and will remain in contact with people close to the player.”
However, Baleba’s form has plummeted this season, with Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler publicly recognizing the impact of United’s interest and repeatedly replacing the midfielder at half-time.
This raises questions about United’s continued pursuit: if a youngster’s performances simply suffer because of the ties to Old Trafford, what will happen when he actually arrives?
Carlos Baleba Premier League Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Performances | 16 |
|---|---|
| Minutes per game | 57 |
| Touches per game | 32.3 |
| Key passes per game | 0.2 |
| Accurate passes per game | 19.9 (86%) |
| Interceptions per game | 0.9 |
| Tackles per game | 1.1 |
The Red Devils are not alone in their admiration for Baleba, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all in the race for the Cameroonian, who is currently absent from the Africa Cup of Nations alongside Bryan Mbeumo.
But there was also competition from abroad – with Bayern Munich identifying the midfielder as a target, according to a report from The People’s Person earlier this month.
Bayern deflects
But Romano reveals Bayern are no longer pursuing Baleba as the German champions have been “informed” he wants to “stay in England” after pushing for a move to United last summer.
“There were rumors in recent weeks in December that Bayern Munich were in discussions and interested in Baleba. Bayern, as I have been told at this stage, are not working on a deal for Baleba.”
“They have the feeling that the player wants to stay in England and wanted to go to Man Utd last summer. Bayern has been informed about this,” says the Italian transfer guru. states on his YouTube channel.
Baleba’s dream seems to be wearing a United shirt, to the extent that a European powerhouse like Bayern has ruled themselves out of contention for the talented youngster. And those feelings are reciprocated by the coach and the executive structure of the Theater of Dreams.
United are leading a hot race for Amorim’s dream midfield signing, although Romano notes a January deal is “unlikely” and other targets such as Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton are also on the club’s radar.
Featured image Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
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