Man Utd Set To Sign Brighton's Baleba
Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, despite an opening bid being rejected.
United close in on Baleba
Manchester United are looking to bolster their squad with the addition of Brighton's Carlos Baleba.
United are closing in on a deal to sign the midfielder for a fee of no more than £80m.
The Red Devils attempted to sign the defensive midfielder near deadline day last summer but were put off by Brighton's £100m valuation at the time.
Price has come down
The asking price for the Cameroon international has reduced significantly since then. Having missed out on Matheus Fernandes earlier this summer, United have turned their attention to Baleba.
Talks continue between the two clubs after an initial United bid of £60m was rejected by Brighton.
Injury latest
Baleba is expected to be out for another two to three weeks after suffering an ankle injury during a pre-season training camp in Austria.
He made 35 appearances for Brighton last season, picking up seven yellow cards as a defensive midfielder.
Midfield rebuild continues
United have already signed midfielders Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48m and Youri Tielemans, who joined from Aston Villa in July for £35m.
Mason Mount excelled alongside Santos in the first three games of pre-season, but he has been struggling to overcome a foot problem he suffered against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August.