Man Utd close to full agreement with Brighton for Carlos Baleba

Manchester United are closing in on a full agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for midfielder Carlos Baleba. According to Sky Sports, the deal is expected to be worth in excess of £60m, and a five-year contract is ready for the Cameroon international to sign.

The 22-year-old is understood to be preparing to travel to Manchester, where medical plans will be scheduled once the deal is formally concluded.

The numbers don't quite match

• Sky Sports: the deal is "expected to be worth in excess of £60m", while noting that "the final fee and structure are not yet fully agreed".
• David Ornstein (The Athletic), via FootballTransfers: United's offer is worth around €70.1m (£60m) plus €5.8m (£5m) in add-ons — still below Brighton's valuation.

Close, but not done. We are not calling this completed until one of the clubs announces it.

For context, Brighton's reported £100m-plus valuation a year ago was the stumbling block that killed an earlier move.

The detail most reports skip: Baleba is injured

Baleba is recovering from an ankle ligament injury sustained in a pre-season friendly against Strasbourg earlier this month.

The timelines differ by source. Sky Sports says the injury is "not expected to keep him out for an extended period". BBC Sport, via Stretty News, reports he is "expected to be out for another two or three weeks" — which could push his debut into September.

If BBC's timeline holds, United would be paying north of £60m for a player who cannot feature immediately — a long-term buy rather than an instant fix.

Who is Baleba?

Carlos Baleba is a 22-year-old central midfielder for Brighton & Hove Albion and a Cameroon international. Signing an established Premier League midfielder removes the usual adaptation period that comes with an overseas transfer.

What happens next

1. The clubs agree the final fee and payment structure — the piece Sky says is still outstanding.
2. Baleba travels for a medical, notable given the ankle injury.
3. Official confirmation from Brighton or Manchester United.

We will update this article once the move is confirmed.

Sources: Sky Sports, David Ornstein (The Athletic) via FootballTransfers, BBC Sport via Stretty News. Reported as close to completion — no club had announced the deal at the time of publication.