Man Utd hearts set on signing £100m star and Amorim sack WON’T stop them – sources

Carlos Baleba remains the preferred candidate for Manchester United to fix their midfield next year but the club continue to have reservations over his price tag, TEAMtalk understands.

Brighton refused to negotiate over a potential transfer when contact was made in the summer – but United still feel the approach was necessary.

They wanted the player to know they are serious about wanting him and it was an indication to Brighton that they would be back for him in the future.

TEAMtalk understands that Brighton consider Baleba to have a market value of at least £100million and that is expected to remain the case moving towards future transfer windows, particularly as they feel there is more than one club interested.

United’s interest is concrete but Liverpool are also believed to be tracking him and there is a chance they step up to make that more active at the end of the season.

TEAMtalk revealed Liverpool’s admiration for Baleba on September 19 and they could prove tough to beat in the race should they seriously pursue a transfer.

United are very keen to bring the 21-year-old to Old Trafford, but have three other exciting midfield targets in mind, too…

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Ruben Amorim sack won’t impact midfielder pursuit

TEAMtalk also revealed on September 10 that United have a plan for two midfielders to arrive in 2026 – one in January and another next summer.

The likes of Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Yehor Yarmoliuk are also on their shortlist at this stage as they seek Premier League experience to help make the adjustment to the starting line-up more smooth.

But we understand Baleba remains the ideal candidate for a role in a Ruben Amorim set-up.

Crucially, however, the club would most likely retain an interest in him even if another manager was to take over at Old Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and other club chiefs ready to invest further in the squad.

A big problem is that United do not feel he is worth £100million at this stage and ideas are needed to figure out how to make the numbers work for them.

Brighton feel in a strong position right now – and as such United know any negotiations will be tough, when the moment comes.

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Latest Man Utd news: Amorim ‘knackered’ / Vlahovic update

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk correspondent Fraser Fletcher has reported that there is anxiety behind the scenes at Old Trafford over Amorim’s future.

One source exclusively told us that the manager ‘looks knackered’ and ‘he knows it’s not working’. 

The Red Devils have three potential replacements in mind, with United’s clash against Sunderland set to have a big influence on his fate.

In other news, United have decided against a January move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has been heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

This gives Newcastle a golden opportunity to sign the Serbian international, with Eddie Howe keen to add a third new forward to his squad after Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

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