Carlos Baleba receives advice for Man Utd match after Bryan Mbeumo ‘transfer plea’

Carlos Baleba is set to play at Old Trafford for the first time since Manchester United showed serious transfer interest in the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder

Carlos Baleba is set to play at Old Trafford for the first time since Manchester United considered signing the Brighton midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Baleba was on United’s radar, with the club even reaching out to Brighton regarding a potential deal. However, Brighton’s hefty price tag of around £100million complicated matters, especially after United had already splashed out during the window.

United insiders later suggested that bolstering the midfield wasn’t a priority due to the squad’s existing depth and versatility. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old remains on United’s watchlist and could be considered as a transfer target next year.

Saturday’s Premier League showdown presents an opportunity for what could be a £100m audition. Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler has offered some advice to the youngster ahead of the match, urging him to ‘overcome the noise,’ in quoted carried by The Daily Mail.

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Baleba’s season hasn’t been smooth sailing, with rumours suggesting that United’s interest may have caused a distraction. However, he showed signs of returning to form during Brighton’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle United last weekend.

“I saw a Carlos Baleba who stepped up,” Hurzeler told Sky Sports. “These were good actions and good behaviours he showed, but he has to make habits out of those good behaviours. That’s the next step in his development, to bring consistency to his performance.

“‘For me, it’s always important that I’m very transparent with the players. I have a very good relationship with Carlos. We speak regularly, we are in touch. I always share my thoughts about his development and my thoughts about his performance.”

The German boss continued: “It’s important to be very clear about what you expect from players on the pitch, off the pitch. And it’s important to build relationships where you can criticise or give personal feedback they might not be happy about, but they understand the intention behind it.

“Carlos won’t get better if he only gets compliments and claps from outside. I think he will get better if he has a safe environment, but also honest feedback where he knows what he needs to improve. That’s where we try to support him and make him better.”

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Bryan Mbeumo is ‘attempting to convince’ Baleba to follow him to Old Trafford. The duo spent time together whilst on international duty representing Cameroon, providing Mbeumo, who is regarded as a ‘big brother’ figure to Baleba, the perfect opportunity to have a word with the player.

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