Man Utd want to sell the midfielder for £50m immediately

Manchester United will go into this summer looking for something they haven't had, it has to be said, as Paul Pogba boasts – a true midfielder.

The divisive Frenchman infuriated fans and pundits alike with his inconsistency and flirtatious exit from Old Trafford, but at his best, the World Cup winner was almost unstoppable, a gliding, graceful, skilful monster.

A quick exit through injury at Anfield perhaps marked a fitting end to United's tumultuous career, but it had all started so well, with Pogba helping Jose Mourinho's men to Europa League and Carabao Cup success in his first season.

Re-signed in an £89m deal in the summer of 2016 from Juventus, the 33-year-old now stands alongside Casemiro as one of the few midfield signings in Manchester after the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Could that be about to change?

Man Utd are hoping to seal a quick deal for the £50m midfielder

Even since Pogba's second free transfer in 2022, a number of midfield signings, alongside Casemiro, have struggled, with the likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Manuel Ugarte and the injured Mason Mount never looking like a long-term solution.

Now there is talk of not just one, not just two, but possibly even three midfielders arriving at Old Trafford this summer, with a £60m deal for Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton now in place.

Apparently, Wharton is not the only Premier League option being considered, with Sky Sports reporting that Brighton and Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba remains a 'top target'.

According to the report, much of the work surrounding the 22-year-old's deal has already been done, with personal terms said to have been agreed in detail last summer.

According to a Sky Sports report, there is even a desire for United to wrap up the deal before the upcoming World Cup, as they were also looking for a deal in January.

No potential price tag has been mentioned, although it has previously been claimed that INEOS is hoping for close to £50m, after an asking price of £100m was previously quoted.

Why Baleba could be the next Pogba at Man Utd

There is no getting away from it. It was not yet the season that Baleba expected as he started only 22 games in the Premier League, which is only 54 minutes per game.

Constantly stuck on the sidelines in the early weeks of the campaign, the Cameroon international has largely failed to make progress since 2024/25, a year that has seen him focus on United.

He was previously targeted by the club during his time at Lille, while speaking at the time of his aforementioned admiration for Pogba, highlighting the Frenchman as one of the midfielders he looks up to:

According to one leading commentator, he is “Pogba-like” in terms of his speed and power, able to blow past opposition players with ease when given the chance to run.

That is reflected in the fact that he averaged one hit per league game last season, while being hit 0.9 times per game, which was a fearsome prospect on and off the ball.

His physicality and defense also saw him average 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game again, ahead of what Pogba achieved in his first season back at Old Trafford (2.9 tackles and interceptions per game).

Like Pogba in his United and Juve glory, Baleba also prides himself on that ability to do wonders, especially beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup last season.

He's not playing, he's only scored three goals in 90 Premier League games, but that's not his game, especially as he's been slotted into the sixth role so far.

Much of what he excels at is centered around his ability to dominate in front of the back four, while keeping things neat and tidy, recording a solid 88% accuracy rate last quarter, and an 86% average this season.

For context, Casemiro only has an 81% pass rate this season.

Baleba, even if he endures a slump in 2025/26, looks the perfect option to provide much-needed physicality to United's midfield, providing a presence the squad hasn't had since Pogba's youth.