Michael Carrick on cusp of welcoming player to his squad who ‘can do it all’, he’ll be delighted

Manchester United are in the process of finalising an agreement for Carlos Baleba.

David Ornstein broke the news this morning that the Red Devils were closing in on a deal for Baleba, having submitted an offer worth £60 million plus £5m in add-ons.

Carlos Baleba: The state of play

The fee is said to be below Brighton and Hove Albion’s valuation. However, all parties are working to get the transfer over the line.

Brighton will be well aware that Baleba himself has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford after missing out on one 12 months ago.

United made a formal approach to try and prise the midfielder from Fabian Hurzeler’s ranks, but Brighton made it clear he was off-limits.

It was expected INEOS would revive their interest this summer, which they’ve now done with two weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut.

Meanwhile, Baleba has been ‘pushing like crazy’ behind the scenes to seal his dream switch.

When might Baleba actually play for United?

Assuming a deal is finalised in the coming days, the 22-year-old would still not be able to feature in United’s season-opener against Hull City on Saturday afternoon.

He sustained an ankle ligament injury in pre-season, which has rendered him unavailable for the first weeks of the term.

Yet, it isn’t thought to be a long-term problem, so Baleba could realistically be making his debut in time for the first instalment of the Manchester derby in M16 on September 13.

The Cameroonian, who ‘can do it all’ in the middle of the park, has racked up 92 Premier League appearances since joining Brighton from Lille in 2023.

Signing for the Reds would also allow him to ply his trade in the Champions League for the first time.

Read more: Deal ‘at an early stage’ — The Athletic confirm ongoing Man Utd negotiations over midfielder with ‘tremendous work ethic’