Камерун хагас хамгаалагч Брайтон клубээс 70 сая фунт стерлингийн гэрээгээр Олд Траффорд цэнгэлдэхэд ирж, таван жилийн хугацаатай гэрээ байгууллаа.
Манчестер Юнайтед 22 настай тоглогчийг багтаа элсүүлэхээр удаан хугацаанд сонирхож байсан бөгөөд энэ удаагийн наймааг амжилттай албан ёс болголоо. Карлос Балеба нь талбайн төвд хамгаалалтын үүрэг гүйцэтгэж, бөмбөг таслах болон сөрөг довтолгоог зогсоох тал дээр өндөр ур чадвар гаргадаг тоглогч юм. Түүнийг Каземирогийн халааг авах найдвартай сонголт хэмээн үзэж байгаа бөгөөд багийн ерөнхий дасгалжуулагч Майкл Каррик түүнийг 4-2-3-1 хувилбарт гол тоглогчоор ашиглахаар төлөвлөж байна.
Гэсэн хэдий ч шинэхэн цэрэг бэлтгэлийн үеэр шагайн холбоосны гэмтэл авсан тул талбайд гарахад тодорхой хугацаа шаардлагатай байгаа юм. Балебагийн хувьд шинэ багийнхаа тактикийн шаардлага болон тоглолтын хэмнэлд дасан зохицох сорилт хүлээж байна. Тэрээр Юри Тилеманс эсвэл Кобби Майну нартай хоршин тоглох боломжтой бөгөөд энэ нь багийн хамгаалалтын сахилга батыг сайжруулах гол түлхүүр болох юм.
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A version of this article was first published last week, it has been updated to reflect that Carlos Baleba has now signed for Manchester United
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild has taken another positive step with the signing of Carlos Baleba after The Athletic revealed last week that they were closing in on a deal for the 22-year-old.
A £70m deal with Brighton was agreed and he has now completed a medical and signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford with the option for an additional 12 months. United’s interest in Baleba has been long-standing.
In August 2025, the club explored a move for the Cameroon international but decided the cost at that point was too high. Baleba endured a patchy 2025-26 season with Brighton. Fabian Hurzeler substituted him in eight times in eight games to open the season and alluded to transfer speculation affecting his form.
His performances improved for the second half of the season, with Baleba looking reinvigorated after a solid AFCON campaign in which Cameroon reached the quarter-finals. In April, The Athletic reported that United still retained an interest in the midfielder.
So now he has finally arrived, what impact will Baleba have on Michael Carrick’s new-look United?
The good news: Baleba is a clever midfield enforcer
Three seasons ago, Brighton turned to Baleba to anchor the team’s midfield after Moises Caicedo’s £115million move to Chelsea. Baleba may have had difficulties last season, but he remains one of the best Premier League players outside of the traditional ‘Big Six’. He is an athletic and courageous midfielder who helps bring out the best in those around him, as highlighted in his player dashboard below. Baleba’s efficiency, aggression, and decisiveness in his defensive actions would make him a suitable successor to Casemiro at United. The midfielder is a clever front-foot defender, capable of an early tackle or interception to halt opposition momentum.
Sometimes this manifests high up the pitch with Baleba patrolling the space just outside the opposition’s penalty area before looking to snatch any loose balls. Brighton’s final game of 2025-26 — against United — saw him first to snap up a loose ball after Kobbie Mainoo cleared a cross from Yankuba Minteh. 
An encouraging aspect of Baleba’s play comes in the controlled and consistent manner in which he approaches his standing and sliding tackles. He combines timing and technique to maximise his chances of regaining possession for his team.
Below, Baleba’s pace allows him to beat Patrick Dorgu to the loose ball, but his tackle is clean enough that he doesn’t give away a foul, ensuring Brighton remain in control.
Baleba isn’t the tallest of defensive midfielders (about 178cm/5ft 10in) but combines balance and excellent body intelligence when looking to protect the ball. Sometimes tackles come with an improvisational flourish, like with this quick shift of feet to stop Fulham from mounting a counter-attack…
Sometimes, he’ll use his shoulders to nudge an opposition player off the ball…
Baleba’s acceleration and aggression make him a formidable presence when working closer to his own goal, too. He regularly fills in defensive gaps to prevent easy crosses or cutbacks into the box, and he’s clever when looking to delay or deny easy passes through the centre.
Couple this with his ability to carry the ball through midfield and a deceptively capable passing range (head here for a look at his attempts when passing long), and we have a player who would immediately improve United’s ability to protect the middle of the pitch, with the potential to help them progress the ball through the centre too.
In short: Baleba is tough, talented and should make for a worthy enforcer within Carrick’s side, something they were lacking in their opening Premier League game.
The not-so-good news: He may take a while to warm up
Baleba suffered an injury to his ankle ligaments during pre-season training, and while the midfielder is hoping to return within the next few weeks, the nature of the injury means it will take some time for him to reach match sharpness.
Once Baleba regains his usual rhythm, there will be questions about how he might fit into a United side that desires to dominate possession for longer stretches under Carrick. Baleba’s appetite for tackles and ball regains make him well suited for games played at a more chaotic pace, but he may take some time to adjust to new tactical demands at United.
The club’s pre-season games saw Carrick’s side look to progress the ball quickly through midfield with quick one-pass combinations. Baleba is left-footed and has the potential to slot in well next to Bruno Fernandes or Youri Tielemans, but there may be some early teething problems as he gets used to his new in-possession responsibilities.
What’s most appealing about Baleba is his tactical fit
Baleba is most likely to slot into the midfield position on the right of Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 once he is fit. His midfield capabilities are so stretchy that he should pair well with Tielemans. Baleba will offer the Belgium international some of the welcome defensive security he previously enjoyed at Leicester City with Wilfred Ndidi, before later having fruitful partnerships with Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana at Aston Villa.
Working with Tielemans may also see Baleba further refine his long-passing skills, giving another important tool to a United side most dangerous on the counter-attack. If Carrick elects to pair Baleba with Mainoo, Baleba can take on the role of hard-running physical enforcer for the academy graduate, allowing Mainoo to focus on ball-progression duties. A potential pairing with Andrey Santos would be the most tactically intriguing combination, with Santos serving as the defensive midfielder, giving Baleba greater freedom to roam central midfield in a box-to-box capacity.
All three combinations would help improve United’s defensive discipline. That is the true appeal of Baleba to United: a player with the athleticism and defensive acumen to become a cornerstone of whatever side Carrick is looking to build.
At a time when many top European sides look to have one athletic midfielder capable of stopping opposition counter-attacks, Baleba brings an intensity and wherewithal to stand up against the very best. He’s not quite a “plug-and-play” individual for United, but he would better equip the club for the physical gauntlet that lies ahead in 2026-27.
