Manchester United finalised the acquisition of Brighton's Carlos Baleba, a 22-year-old Cameroon midfielder, following a negotiated settlement valued at up to £70 million. The structure involves an initial outlay of £65 million with an additional £5 million contingent on future performance milestones, whilst Brighton secured the right to benefit from proceeds if Baleba is later sold. The player has been cleared to proceed with medical examinations at United's training facilities.

This signing represents the club's third midfield reinforcement during the current transfer period, following earlier acquisitions of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. The successive purchases suggest a deliberate strategy to deepen and upgrade United's midfield options, addressing what the management perceived as areas requiring strengthened competition and squad depth in the centre of the park.