Manchester United’s signing of Carlos Baleva proved to be short-lived in the summer transfer window. Brighton have set a £100m valuation for Baleva, making it financially difficult for the Red Devils to complete a deal, and the Seagulls said they were “very confident” Baleva would remain at the Amex Stadium. The club intended to keep Baleva for at least another season.
United officials ultimately admitted that strengthening the midfield was not a priority, with existing squad options considered to be robust and adaptable. However, Valeva was considered at some point during the summer and United might have made a bid for the 21-year-old if they had not spent so much money elsewhere. United have focused on revamping their attacking options and securing Senne Lamence.
They were happy to postpone their midfield reinforcements until next summer, but could Valeva resurface as a target after the season ends?
There is still room for renewed interest next summer as opposed to the January period, but his display in this campaign has not been overwhelming and that may cause some concerns.
Baleva came on as a substitute against Everton in August and came on as a substitute against Bournemouth in September, but failed to show his £100m quality.
After the game against Bournemouth, Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler acknowledged his difficulties, saying: “I think it’s normal for a young player to have the media buzzing around him.”
“It’s not easy for this player to deal with that. So we need to give him time and help him get back to his best performance.”
“But he’s a young player and I think that’s something we have to accept. It’s that young players don’t always look like what we want to see. It’s our responsibility to help them at the right moment.”
When asked directly whether interest from United had influenced the midfielder, the Brighton manager replied: “Yes. “I think everyone is affected.
“Especially when you’re young, you hear things like this, whether it’s wrong or right. But it’s just noise that we don’t need.”
Baleva needs to improve and put his disappointing start to the season behind him if he has any ambitions of securing a move to Old Trafford, where he will play on Saturday night.
With Omar Berada and Jason Wilcox watching from the directors’ box, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Baleva give his best performance in Manchester this weekend.
Baleva will likely see this match as an opportunity to showcase his talent in preparation for a possible transfer.
Nevertheless, to justify his £100m price tag, Baleva must show reliable excellence week in and week out, rather than simply rising to the opportunities that suit him.
