Wayne Rooney Backs Carlos Baleba as Key Addition for Manchester United

Wayne Rooney is convinced Carlos Baleba is exactly what Manchester United’s midfield has been crying out for – and he’s not having any talk that the Brighton man “went missing” after his Old Trafford move collapsed last season.

Baleba is expected to join United from Brighton in a deal worth up to £70 million, which would make him the club’s third new midfielder of the summer after Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Both of those signings went straight into the team on Saturday, but their debuts were swallowed up by a flat 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull that underlined how far United’s midfield still has to go.

Rooney, speaking on the ‘Stick to United with Wayne Rooney’ podcast on Disney+, didn’t hesitate when Baleba’s name came up.

“I really like him, I think he’s a really good signing,” United’s record scorer said. “We need another midfield player with a bit of physicality and I know he’s not six-foot-four or whatever but he covers the ground really well, he’s aggressive, he takes the ball, and is what we need. He’s a very good player who will improve the team massively.”

United chased the 22-year-old last season, only to be put off when Brighton were reported to have slapped a £100m price tag on the Cameroon midfielder. What followed was a difficult campaign on the south coast: Baleba started just 23 Premier League games, failed to score and drew criticism from some who claimed he had disappeared after missing out on his dream move.

Rooney pushed back hard on that narrative.

“I don’t think he went missing. The chance doesn’t come around that often to play for Manchester United, so you don’t know what effect that has,” he said. “There’s no denying his ability as a player. I think he is a top player.”

United’s rebuild in the middle of the pitch has become urgent. Casemiro, once the anchor of the side, has gone. Manuel Ugarte, signed to bring bite and control, has suffered a serious knee injury. The response has been aggressive: Tielemans’ passing range, Santos’ energy and now, if the deal is completed, Baleba’s power and dynamism.

Rooney likes the picture that is starting to form – and the tension it will create inside the dressing room.

“It will be interesting with Tielemans, Santos and [Kobbie] Mainoo but this is what it should be. Competition for places. If you don’t play well, you don’t play.”

For a United side exposed in midfield at Hull and still searching for an identity, that sounds less like a warning and more like the new standard.