MANCHESTER UNITED will have to pay a club-record fee if they want to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba this summer.
The Red Devils recently made contact with Brighton over an audacious move for the 21-year-old.
GettyMan Utd will have to pay a club-record fee for Carlos Baleba[/caption]
It has been widely reported that United are in pole position to sign him.
Baleba is currently valued at £76million, but the Seagulls have no intention to sell him before the summer window shuts.
The Athletic has claimed that Brighton would therefore only consider a bid worth over the £115m they accepted for the sale of Moises Caicedo in 2023.
Baleba currently has three years left on his contract at the Amex Stadium.
The midfielder signed for the Seagulls in a £23m transfer from Lille two years ago and is now widely considered one of the most talented young players in the world.
Brighton chief Paul Barber recently denied that United had made an approach.
He said: “There is always going to be interest in our players. Manchester United have not been in touch with me, speculation is speculation.
“Carlos is a fantastic talent and we hope he will be here for years to come.
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“But it’s subject to the dynamics of the football world, which is not always predictable.”
Man Utd are on the hunt for a dynamic midfielder to join Ruben Amorim‘s 3-4-3 pivot.
AlamySir Jim Ratcliffe previously claimed that United were at risk of going bust[/caption]
Manuel Ugarte, signed from Paris Saint-Germain in a £50m transfer last August, has failed to impress in pre-season.
One United fan has even started a GoFundMe page in a bizarre attempt to raise cash for a deal.
Earlier this year, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed the club would go bankrupt without his cost-cutting methods.
He said: “Manchester United would have run out of cash by the end of 2025. Where do you want to spend the money?
“Do you want to spend it on operating the club or do you want to spend it on the squad?
“Because if you spend it on the squad, you get better results.
“At the end of the day, what is Manchester United here for if not to win trophies?
“What we want to do is invest in the best players in the world, if we can. Rather than spend it on, I’m afraid, free lunches.”
However, the Red Devils are among the top spenders in the Premier League this summer.
They have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for £71m and Diego Leon from Cerro Porteno for £7m.
On top of that, they are on the verge of completing a £74m deal for striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.
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