Manchester United's Pursuit of Baleba Intensifies After Tonali Snub
Manchester United have been told, in no uncertain terms, to forget about Sandro Tonali.
Newcastle United consider the Italian midfielder untouchable, central to their long-term project and nowhere near the shop window. According to GiveMeSport, the Magpies are refusing to even entertain offers, shutting down one of United’s preferred options for a summer midfield rebuild before negotiations ever truly began.
For United, it’s a brutal reminder of the new reality. Premier League rivals don’t just resist strengthening Old Trafford. They actively guard against it.
Tonali’s technical quality, his intensity off the ball and his reliability across a season have all made him a long-standing object of admiration at Carrington. He fits the profile: a high-energy controller who can anchor a midfield and still play. But prising him from St James’ Park would demand a fee far beyond what United have earmarked for a single position, and Newcastle have little appetite to cash in or to arm a direct competitor.
That stance has forced United to look elsewhere – and fast.
Baleba moves to the front of the queue
With Tonali effectively out of reach, attention has swung decisively towards Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. The 22-year-old has been on United’s radar for a long time, and the club have already moved to lock down their side of the deal. Personal terms, per the report, were agreed as far back as August 2025, underlining how long this move has been in the works.
United’s recruitment staff have tracked the Cameroon international closely, studying his adaptation to the Premier League and his development as a defensive midfielder. Internally, he is viewed as a major long-term solution at the base of midfield and a natural successor to Casemiro, who is set to leave on a free transfer this summer.
This is not a speculative punt on potential from abroad. Baleba has already absorbed the pace and physicality of English football, an important factor for a club that has been burned by expensive imports needing long bedding-in periods. His Premier League experience is seen as a crucial layer of insurance in a window where mistakes could prove costly.
The problem? Brighton do not sell cheaply.
Baleba is under contract until 2028, and the Seagulls are said to be demanding up to £80 million. For a club that has made an art form of extracting maximum value from their assets, that figure is not a bluff. United know they will have to fight for every inch in negotiations with a south coast hierarchy renowned for driving the hardest of bargains.
A crowded shortlist, an uncertain anchor
Baleba is not the only name on United’s midfield list. Far from it.
The future of Manuel Ugarte at Old Trafford remains uncertain, and the club are planning for every scenario. Atalanta’s Ederson has been on their wish list since last summer, admired for his blend of physicality and tactical discipline. With his deal in Bergamo running until June 2027, Atalanta are open to a sale at the right price, believed to be around €45 million.
United are also casting their eye closer to home. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are both under consideration, part of a broader effort to identify midfielders who can grow into key roles rather than simply plug gaps. Each option is being weighed carefully: age, ceiling, cost, availability, and how they fit into a revamped structure around them.
This is not a scattergun spree. It’s a high-stakes puzzle.
Brighton talks set to define United’s summer
With personal terms for Baleba already in place, the real test now lies in dealing with Brighton. United want their business done early, particularly in midfield, to give the new-look core time to settle before the season kicks off. The need is obvious. The middle of the pitch has been a recurring fault line, and with Casemiro leaving, the margin for error shrinks again.
Brighton, though, have made a habit of dictating the tempo of the market. They sell when it suits them, at the numbers they set. United will have to decide how far they are willing to push for a player they see as central to their next cycle.
Tonali is locked away on Tyneside. The message from Newcastle is clear.
So the question now hangs over Old Trafford: do they meet Brighton’s demands for Baleba and secure the cornerstone of their new midfield, or risk watching another crucial window drift by without the anchor they so clearly need?
