Carlos Baleba has removed a social media post addressing transfer rumors related to himself and Manchester United ahead of Brighton’s visit to Old Trafford. The Seagulls are scheduled to face United in the Premier League on Saturday evening, with all attention focused on Baleba.
United, coming off two consecutive wins, will be facing Fabian Hurzeler’s squad with the hope of maintaining their recent positive momentum. The home team is keeping a watchful eye on Brighton midfielder Baleba, whom they tried to acquire unsuccessfully during the summer transfer window.
Brighton attracted interest from United for the Cameroon international, but negotiations did not progress due to their exorbitant asking price, which dissuaded other potential suitors. The club set a valuation exceeding £100 million, inspired by the £115 million they earned from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo.
Despite the failed transfer, Baleba remains interested in joining United in the future and sees the upcoming match as an opportunity to impress Ruben Amorim. Hurzeler had to address queries about his midfielder during the pre-match press briefing and likely did not appreciate Baleba’s Instagram post.
The 21-year-old initially posted an image promoting the Saturday match at 5:30 pm with the caption “Coming to Old Trafford” accompanied by a laughing emoji. Realizing the possible implications, he swiftly deleted the post and re-shared the image without the sarcastic caption, but not before fans noticed.
While Baleba has struggled this season, he delivered a better performance in Brighton’s 2-1 win against Newcastle United last weekend, earning praise from his coach.
Hurzeler commented on Baleba’s recent progress, acknowledging his positive actions and behaviors on the field but emphasizing the need for consistency in his performance to further develop.
Brighton is accustomed to larger clubs attempting to poach their players, and Baleba is expected to be a target at the end of the season. Club chairman Tony Bloom dismissed the notion of Baleba’s transfer being a prolonged saga, highlighting the player’s significant improvement and importance to the team.
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