Manchester United Close to Deal for Brighton Midfielder Carlos Baleba

MANCHESTER, England —

Manchester United are close to a full agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to Sky Sports. The deal is expected to be worth more than £60 million ($76 million), though the final fee and structure have not been settled, Sky Sports reported. A five-year contract is already prepared for Baleba to sign once the transfer is completed, the outlet said.

Baleba, 22, is expected to travel to Manchester for a medical once the deal is finalized, according to Sky Sports. He is currently recovering from an ankle ligament injury sustained during preseason training in Austria, but the injury is not expected to sideline him for long, Sky Sports reported. BBC Sport said Baleba is likely to be out for another two to three weeks.

United tried to sign the Cameroon international last summer but backed off after Brighton valued him at more than £100 million ($127 million), BBC Sport reported. That price has come down significantly since, according to the BBC, after a dip in form during a season in which Baleba started fewer Premier League games than the year before. He made 35 appearances for Brighton last season and has played 112 times for the club since joining from Lille in 2023, per Sky Sports.

Baleba would become United's third midfield signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48 million ($61 million) and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million ($44 million), according to the BBC.

Napoli Circle United's Zirkzee

Separately, Napoli have made an approach for United forward Joshua Zirkzee, according to Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, as reported by Yahoo Sports. Di Marzio said Zirkzee is expected to leave Old Trafford this summer. The interest comes after Romelu Lukaku left Napoli for Fenerbahce, Yahoo Sports reported.

Zirkzee is not the only forward on Napoli's list, according to Di Marzio. The Italian club is also interested in Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson, who is facing an uncertain future after his loan at Bayern Munich ended, and Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus, Yahoo Sports reported.

Neither Manchester United nor Napoli has publicly confirmed the reported moves.