Baleba 2.0: INEOS targeting Man Utd move for £52m “world-class talent”
An errant decade or so of transfer dealings has seen Manchester United regularly splash the cash on expensive, high-profile names, while also overlooking possible bargain, astute deals for future superstars.
In that latter category, there are almost too many missed opportunities to count, having failed to heed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s advice regarding a £4m-rated teenager named Erling Haaland, while also rejecting the chance to sign Benjamin Sesko for just £2.5m back in 2019.
With regard to midfielders, journalist Andy Mitten has revealed that United also snubbed the opportunity to sign Adam Wharton, prior to his £20m switch to Crystal Palace in January 2024, while the Red Devils had previously backed away from a bargain deal for a little-known Ecuadorian teenager named Moises Caicedo.
The consequence? The new INEOS and Ruben Amorim regime remains in desperate need of midfield solutions, with it likely to prove far more costly to solve those problems this month.
Man Utd targeting Carlos Baleba alternatives
After those ‘what if’ scenarios with regard to Wharton and Caicedo in recent years, United now enter 2026 looking likely to have to pay a premium for a genuine midfield upgrade, namely Carlos Baleba.
As reported by Sky Sports, INEOS have been exploring the conditions of a potential deal for Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon teammate, albeit with no move set to take place this month.
Brighton and Hove Albion appear unwilling to let their 21-year-old sensation leave mid-season, having also reportedly slapped a £100m plus price tag on his head over the summer.
That same Sky Sports report does indicate that other more left-field midfield targets are being considered, however, with United said to be keeping tabs on Lille starlet, Ayyoubd Bouaddi.
The 18-year-old is one of the ‘younger prospects’ that the Old Trafford side have in mind, should they opt against moving for the likes of Baleba, Wharton and Elliot Anderson, who are deemed to be the ‘top targets’.
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No price tag is given with regard to the teenage Bouaddi, although recent speculation suggested he could still command a fee of around £52m.
Why Bouaddi could be an ideal Baleba alternative
For so long, as already explained, United’s model has appeared to be to almost wait and see how promising players fare at other Premier League clubs, rather than seeking to nurture that talent themselves.
That, evidently, has been the case with the likes of Wharton and Caicedo, while the club were also said to have been scouting Baleba in 2023, prior to joining Brighton for around £23m that summer.
While a deal for another Lille sensation, Bouaddi, may require greater investment, it could see United skip out the middle man on this occasion, rather than allowing a club like the Seagulls to steal a march instead.
Signing such a young talent, at a time when Amorim is in desperate need of a midfield upgrade, is a risk, although the Baleba-style potential is already there, with Bouaddi lauded as a “world-class talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.
The teenage Frenchman doesn’t turn 19 until October, yet he has already made 74 senior appearances for the Ligue 1 side, registering four assists in that time from his central midfield berth.
Potentially set to follow in Leny Yoro’s footsteps by trading Lille for Manchester, the France U21 international has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, 14 of which have come in the league, ranking highly across a string of metrics in comparison to his Ligue 1 peers.
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Indeed, as per FBref, Bouaddi ranks in the top 8% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while also ranking in the top 1% for blocks per 90, highlighting that all-round quality to his game.
Most valuable U18s in Europe
Player
Club
Value
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
£174m
Estevao
Chelsea
£70m
Pau Cubarsi
Barcelona
£70m
Lennart Karl
Bayern
£52m
Franco Mastantuono
Real Madrid
£44m
Geovany Quenda
Sporting
£39m
Ayyoud Bouaddi
Lille
£35m
Rodrigo Mora
Porto
£35m
Luka Vuskovic
Spurs (Hamburg)
£35m
Ethan Nwanier
Arsenal
£35m
via Transfermarkt
More broadly, among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, the £52m diamond ranks in the top 6% for successful take-ons, showcasing his innate ball-carrying prowess from deep.
It may appear too soon for a Premier League switch, although Baleba actually made the move to the Amex after just 23 senior games at Lille, with the then-19-year-old now arguably “one of the best midfielders in the league”, in the view of Como scout Ben Mattinson.
There is a pathway there for Bouaddi to follow, although rather than watching the teenager potentially thrive elsewhere, INEOS should be brave enough to strike now, instead of being left to regret it later down the line.
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