2025-11-18 01:19:01
Are Manchester United back on track? It’s probably premature to make such a conclusive claim, but then we can’t help but notice the hint of success now that Ruben Amorim has strung together a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
It was refreshing to see the Portuguese coach speak candidly after the recent draw at Tottenham Hotspur, though. Amorim understands that, while progress has been made in recent months, there is so much work still to be plied.
While the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have reshaped the Red Devil frontline for the better, there’s no question that issues remain in the centre of the field, even with Casemiro resurgent and the skipper, Bruno Fernandes, in fine form.
Man Utd’s search for a midfielder
INEOS and the Manchester United recruitment team have accepted that the midfield requires something of a rebuild, with Bruno and Casemiro into their 30s and Kobbie Mainoo out of sorts.
One of the pleasing changes of recent months has been a focus on adding Premier League-proven quality. Mbeumo and Cunha stand as testaments to this. Now, the same logic must be applied in the centre.
There are a number of possibilities, the most noisy of which centres on England star Elliot Anderson, though Nottingham Forest have placed a prohibitive £100m price tag on their prized star’s name.
United are ready to spend in 2026, though, and could instead make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, having profiled the Cameroonian talent last summer.
According to GIVEMESPORT and Fabrizio Romano, Old Trafford Director of Football Jason Wilcox has held positive discussions with the young midfielder; however, it looks like Brighton have doubled down on their £115m valuation.
Crucially, Baleba is “very keen” on leaping at the chance to sign for Amorim’s outfit, and so a deal could certainly be pulled off next year.
Why Man Utd want Carlos Baleba
Man United have needed a mobile centre-midfielder for a while, and in Baleba, they might just land the perfect player.
The Brighton star is into his third season in the Premier League, and though he hasn’t been at his best since the summer, this is likely because of the fallout from United’s failed attempt to bring him away from Fabian Hurzeler’s outfit in August.
Hailed by analyst Joao Miguel as being a “transition monster” who “eats hectares of space for lunch”, the 5 foot 11 star would dovetail right into the way Amorim wants to play, perhaps even more so than Anderson, who is firmly rooted in Forest’s counter-pressing brand of football.
Anderson might be more mobile and energetic in his game, but Baleba’s mix of tough-tackling defending and ball-playing quality makes him the perfect alternative, and one who could even come to surpass the England man.
For all the gains United have made in recent months, they are still an imperfect outfit. Too easy to catch on the break and lacking physicality, xGA data reveals Amorim’s side to be among the most statistically porous in the division.
|
Premier League 25/26 – Highest xGA Totals |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Goals Conceded |
xGA |
|
Burnley |
22 |
23.4 |
|
Nott’m Forest |
20 |
16.6 |
|
Man United |
18 |
16.4 |
|
West Ham |
23 |
16.3 |
|
Wolves |
25 |
16.0 |
|
Data via FBref |
||
Expected goals against (xGA) is the number of goals a team is expected to have conceded based on the quality and quantity of shots they face.
Baleba’s strength and ground-covering presence would ease this problem and then some, adding the fresh legs needed to keep Bruno on his A-game. This positive chain would ripple through to the forwards, who are already showing such promise.
Anderson is emerging as a talented midfielder, and either would be a credit to the Man United project. However, Baleba’s desire to move to Manchester, the club’s comprehensive profiling of his style and his powerful and athletic approach could see him emerge as the pick of the bunch.
