Baleba injury throws Manchester United's midfield plans into doubt

Carlos Baleba's proposed move to Manchester United has run into serious trouble after the Brighton midfielder suffered an ankle ligament injury, according to insider. United had made Baleba their target for a third central midfield signing this summer, having spent much of the window refusing to be dragged into overpaying. Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes were all considered at different moments before being ruled out by huge transfer fees. Instead, United took a more careful path, adding Yourie Tielemans and Andrey Santos for comparatively modest money. Baleba was next on the list, but Romano now says the deal is effectively on hold. "Man United at the moment are not proceeding with the Carlos Baleba deal," Romano said. "The injury is not a six- or seven-month injury, so it's not a super-long one, but it's still an injury." The player pushed hard for the move in summer 2025 and again during the current 2026 window, yet the setback has made that move significantly more complicated. Romano did not completely close the door on United returning later in the window, but he made clear this is not a scenario they can rely on. Baleba picked up the injury during a training session at Brighton's pre-season camp in Vienna. It forced him to miss the 4-3 friendly win over Strasbourg. Brighton's local outlet The Argus reported that there were initial fears over the severity, but a scan has since eased those concerns. The midfielder is now expected to miss "a few weeks," which would take him beyond the end of the transfer window. That timeline has pushed United to step back from negotiations for now and explore alternatives. Michael Carrick's squad still needs work before it can be considered ready for the Champions League. United are also looking at a left-back and a centre-back, with another attacker potentially on the agenda. If the club cannot find a new home for Marcus Rashford, Carrick appears willing to reintegrate the former Barcelona loanee into his group.