Entertainment

Manchester United completes £70 million transfer of Carlos Baleba from Brighton

The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a contract through 2031, with Manchester United's summer transfer spending exceeding £150 million.

Updated Aug 25, 2026 · 17:23 UTC2 reports

The short version

Manchester United signed 22-year-old midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton on a five-year contract with an option for an additional year.
The transfer fee is £70 million ($95 million), structure as an initial £65 million payment plus £5 million in potential add-ons, alongside a sell-on clause for Brighton.
Baleba joins Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos as United's third midfield signee of the summer window, bringing the club's total summer expenditure to over £150 million.
Baleba is currently recovering from an ankle injury sustained during pre-season training with Brighton.

Carlos Baleba signed a deal with Manchester United running until 2031, with an option to extend for an extra year.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
The transfer agreement totals up to £70 million, consisting of a guaranteed £65 million base fee and £5 million in performance add-ons.[BBC News]
Brighton secured a sell-on clause as part of the deal.[BBC News]
Baleba is Manchester United's third summer midfield acquisition, following Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
The signing pushes Manchester United's total spending during the current transfer window to over £150 million.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
Baleba joined Brighton from French side Lille in 2023 and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the club.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]

The exact date for Baleba's Manchester United debut is unclear while he recovers from his pre-season ankle injury.[BBC News]