1 month ago
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Brighton want €100m
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It emerged on Wednesday evening that Manchester United had made a tentative enquiry to Brighton regarding the availability of Carlos Baleba. Old Trafford chiefs have strengthened their attacking ranks significantly this summer with Benjamin Sesko’s imminent arrival building upon the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. The next priority for United is adding a new, dynamic centre midfielder and Baleba has been identified as their priority target. Lille have produced a conveyor belt of talent over the last decade and Baleba progressed through their famed academy before joining Brighton for €27 million in 2023. The 21-year-old has impressed to earn his reputation as one of the best emerging midfield targets in the Premier League with his ball-winning ability an outstanding attribute.
Ruben Amroim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation places huge emphasis on the two central midfielders to cover vast areas of the pitch and press intensely, with Baleba’s athleticism suited to these demands. United’s net spend this summer will exceed €175m this summer when Sesko’s arrival is finalised and it’s understood they will need to sell before adding another expensive signing - Alejandro Garnacho could prove key with Chelsea preparing an offer. Brighton, however, don’t want to sell Baleba and will demand around €100m for their prized asset, which could prove prohibitive for United. Therefore, we’ve analysed four potential cheaper alternatives to the Brighton midfielder with Transfermarkt market values under €30m - market values aren’t equated to transfer fees and these players would likely cost more than their valuations.
Of the four players identified, Lamine Camara will likely require the highest transfer fee with Monaco reluctant to lose the midfielder this summer. The Ligue 1 club will participate in the Champions League next season and have secured high-profile additions in Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati. Camara is more attack-minded than Baleba and therefore perhaps not directly comparable but he predominantly plays in a double-pivot for Monaco, alongside Denis Zakaria. The 21-year-old performs a box-to-box role and he’s excellent at progressing the ball. Camara is much better in possession than Baleba, superb at using his body to protect the ball but he crucially excels at covering large areas of space. Camara is better defensively than given credit for and presses really well and he’d be a fascinating option as he could be moulded under Amorin’s coaching.
Pape Gueye only joined Villarreal last summer from Marseille and they secured a bargain, picking up the 26-year-old on a free transfer. Gueye previously had LaLiga experience from a loan spell at Seville but he truly excelled at Villarreal as they secured Champions League qualification. The defensive midfielder was instrumental to the success of Marcelino’s men with several eye-catching performances against the best teams in Spain. Gueye remains relatively unknown in England and some would question whether he’s good enough for United but he could be incredibly effective in Amorim’s system. He would unquestionably add athleticism and physicality to the midfield and his passing improved considerably last season at Villareal. The French-born midfielder would be well-suited to the demands of the Premier League and he was very impressive in Villareal’s pre-season win over Arsenal.
Lucien Agoumé is only valued at €8m on Transfermarkt but Sevilla would demand substantially more to sanction his sale. Agoume excels defensively with his interceptions and tackling skills amongst his standout qualities. The 23-year-old only joined Sevilla last summer from Inter Milan with the LaLiga club picking up 50% of his ownership rights. The Spaniards acquired a further 40% recently and Transfermarkt understands their valuation is in excess of €25m. Agoume has been compared stylistically to Moises Caicedo and he represents a potential gem on the market.
Javi Guerra was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this summer and he represents a more technically gifted option than the aforementioned trio. The 22-year-old has already amassed over 80 first-team appearances for Valencia and he shines when progressing from deep with his rangy running style. Guerra isn’t too similar in profile to Baleba as he’s more attacking but he is physically strong and excellent at pressing. Guerra only has two years left on his deal which puts Valencia in an awkward position but the Spanish U21 international is expected to commit his future to his boyhood club.
