Man Utd ‘especially’ ready to make €30m bid for Ligue 1 revelation amid Newcastle, West Ham battle

Samuel Bannister 27 Jun 2023 10:22 AM

Man Utd are firming up their interest in Carlos Baleba and are now one of the most likely clubs to bid for the Lille midfielder, per reports in France.

Baleba has just completed his debut season with the Lille first team. Coincidentally, his first appearance for them was as a substitute to replace ex-Man Utd midfielder Angel Gomes. By the end of the campaign, Baleba had amassed 19 Ligue 1 appearances – though just five of them were starts.

Contributing two assists along the way, he began to be linked with Man Utd in March, when the Red Devils were listed as one of several clubs scouting him.

Now, an update from La Voix Des Sports has revealed that Man Utd are one of four Premier League suitors for Baleba.

The others include Newcastle and West Ham, but Man Utd are ‘especially’ keen on the 19-year-old, the report claims.

Players like Scott McTominay and Fred might vacate the Man Utd midfield this summer. Casemiro made a positive impact after his arrival last year, as did the more advanced Christian Eriksen, so another addition could follow.

Man Utd’s main midfield target has been Mason Mount from Chelsea. However, the asking price is too high for a player in the final year of his contract.

Therefore, Man Utd are threatening to walk away from the Mount deal and move on to other targets, such as Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

They have also been linked with some lower-profile alternatives, such as FC Utrecht’s Taylor Booth.

Baleba becomes latest Man Utd midfield option

But another option in contention could be Baleba, for whom they and their rival suitors are willing to make a €30m (£25.8m) offer.

Nothing of that sort seems to be urgently imminent, though there could be movement for the Cameroon-born midfielder later in the summer.

Lille still have Baleba under contract until 2026. If he stays with Paulo Fonseca’s side, he will get the chance to participate in the Europa Conference League next season after their fifth-place finish.

In contrast, Man Utd and Newcastle have Champions League football on offer, whereas West Ham – winners of this season’s Conference League – could give him a platform in the Europa League.

Carlos Baleba