Whitwell reveals Man Utd consider fielding Baleba in surprising new role
Carlos Baleba could soon become Manchester United’s long-awaited marquee signing in the middle of the park, but could also prove to be an option for another playing role.
Earlier this week, The Athletic’s David Ornstein dropped a bombshell by revealing Man Utd and Brighton are in advanced talks for Baleba’s transfer.
This move has been in the works for over a year, and it could finally materialise in the coming days.
Fabrizio Romano revealed that the next few hours could be decisive, as the two clubs are expected to hold further talks.
Carlos Baleba to be fielded at left-back?
United’s transfer campaign has been interesting thus far. After signing Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, INEOS put their midfield plans on hold as they shifted their focus towards recruiting a new left-back to share the role with Luke Shaw.
The Premier League giants were determined to get Lewis Hall, but Newcastle United raised a wall, insisting that the 21-year-old isn’t for sale.
MUFC also considered Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal youngster can cover both the left-back and midfield roles, making him a perfect solution. However, the Englishman has now cemented himself as a regular feature in Mikel Arteta’s lineup, so the Gunners won’t consider a sale.
Curiously, The Athletic’s Man Utd correspondent Laurie Whitwell thinks Baleba might be asked to cover at left-back if required, even though the plan remains to buy a more natural fit for the role.
“Baleba has not played at left-back for Brighton, but his left-footedness makes that a possibility at United should the need arise. He twice played for Brighton at centre-back,” wrote the journalist in his latest column for The Athletic.
Should Man Utd consider fielding Baleba in the backline?
In modern football, we’ve seen several top-notch players shifting between central midfield and full-back, including Joshua Kimmich, Eduardo Camavinga, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Managers have noticed that midfielders have a natural ability to adapt in the full-back roles (and vice versa), probably because both roles require an ability to contribute to both phases of the game, not to mention the heavy workload.
Therefore, Baleba wouldn’t be the first midfielder to be deployed at full-back, but it should be said that the Cameroonian was built to play as a No.6 due to his ability to impose his will in the middle of the park and dominate the action by using his sheer strength, stamina and tactical awareness.
So, ideally speaking, Man Utd should find themselves a natural left-back to rotate with Shaw, and make sure Baleba wouldn’t have to be shifted to the back unless Michael Carrick is facing an emergency situation.
