Man Utd transfer news: Carlos Baleba verdict given as Red Devils chase next deal

Manchester United have been busy in the transfer market as Ruben Amorim aims to get his squad up to the levels required to climb the Premier League table this season

Manchester United’s Premier League campaign is just over a week away, but their transfer business could continue beyond then. Ruben Amorim’s squad has been bolstered with the addition of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon, with all signs suggesting there’s more to come.

Benjamin Sesko is next in line, though – at the time of writing – a deal for the striker has been agreed but not completed, with a medical now set to be completed. United have also explored a move for Carlos Baleba, but it could be tricky to find the funds to sign the Cameroonian midfielder on top of a £70m+ deal for Sesko.

United take on Fiorentina in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday, looking to round off an unbeaten run of matches in Europe and the United States. The stand-out result was a 4-1 victory over Bournemouth, while Amorim’s team also beat West Ham and drew with both Everton and Leeds.

They will begin their Premier League campaign the following weekend with a blockbuster game against Arsenal. The Gunners suffered a second pre-season defeat on Wednesday, following up a 1-0 loss to Tottenham in Hong Kong with a home reverse against Villarreal.

United’s line-up for that first game could well depend on what business gets done in the next week. Here are Mirror Football‘s latest transfer lines from around Old Trafford.

READ MORE: Win Premier League Tickets to Chelsea v Crystal Palace or Man City v TottenhamREAD MORE: Man Utd target Carlos Baleba’s response to transfer interest spoke volumes

Eriksen offered Burnley chance

Christian Eriksen could be about to make an immediate return to the Premier League with Burnley. The Danish midfielder has been a free agent since leaving Old Trafford at the end of June, and opted against dropping down to the Championship with Wrexham.

According to The Mail, Scott Parker’s newly promoted Clarets have made contact over a potential move, though they face competition from elsewhere in Europe. If they succeed, they would reunite Eriksen with his former Tottenham team-mate Kyle Walker after landing the right-back earlier in the window.

Burnley also confirmed the signing of former United loanee Martin Dubravka on Thursday. The Slovakian goalkeeper, who joins from Newcastle, played two cup games while on loan at Old Trafford during the 2022-23 season.

Keane’s comments on Baleba

Carlos Baleba is a player who United clearly rate highly, and their former captain Roy Keane agrees. Keane made a glowing assessment of the Brighton midfielder last season, before United’s recent interest came to light.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens this summer,” Keane said during Brighton’s FA Cup run last term. “Fantastic. Great example. The other clubs must be looking at Brighton and thinking, how are they doing it?”

United are unlikely to be able to bring in Baleba this summer without raising significant funds, though the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund could yet move on. It may end up being a case of letting the midfielder spend another year on the south coast before swooping in 2026.

Sesko’s four rules

If and when Benjamin Sesko joins Manchester United, he will be entering an environment which has a new set of rules in place. Ruben Amorim imposed a number of changes since arriving in November as the permanent successor to former boss Erik ten Hag, and he was the one who put those new rules in place.

Some of the rules are specific to players, including banning them from going on holiday during international breaks. This is unlikely to be a big factor for Sesko, who is one of the first names on Slovenia’s team-sheet, but others have been impacted.

Amorim has also banned food in the dressing room on matchdays, while ordering players to pick up equipment if they lose the mini-matches played during training sessions. The final rule concerns coaches – getting them to simplify advice – but this too will affect the playing staff.

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