The Winners and Losers From Carlos Baleba’s Man Utd Transfer

The arrival of Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion means Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is complete.

The Red Devils are rejuvenating their roster patiently, position group by position group. Last summer, approximately $272 million was spent to improve an attack devoid of quality, and in 2026, it’s the engine room’s turn to undergo an overhaul. Many are preparing for United’s defense to be the focus in 12 months.

Baleba is a name familiar to supporters, given that the club’s interest in the Cameroonian international was well-documented last year. Brighton then wanted at least $136.4 million (£100 million), but have been forced to settle for $88.7 million (£65 million) after his stock took a considerable hit in 2025–26.

There were mitigating factors in Baleba’s dip, from transfer distractions to "family problems", mentioned by Cameroon manager David Pagou. United are hopeful that the iteration of Baleba that took the Premier League by storm two seasons ago re-emerges at the Theatre of Dreams, because Michael Carrick’s midfield group, despite the two additions made already this summer, still lacks a bit of bite.

As a result, they were ”mauled by the Tigers” in their Premier League opener on Saturday.

Here are the winners and losers from the 22-year-old’s move to Man Utd.

Winners

Youri Tielemans

Man Utd’s triggering of Youri Tielemans’ $47.7 million release clause has been regarded as one of the astutest pieces of business of the summer window.

The Belgian has bags of Premier League experience, and is a technically accomplished operator who smoothens the build-up process and can also create in and around the final third. He should eventually take the playmaking burden off Bruno Fernandes.

However, Tielemans isn’t devoid of drawbacks. He’s not the most ferocious of athletes, and often looks like he’s running through quicksand in recovery. Fortunately, Man Utd’s newest midfield recruit specializes in the areas Tielemans falls short in.

While Baleba can drive the ball upfield and switch the play efficiently, he’s particularly impressive without the ball. He’ll provide the necessary legs alongside Tielemans, covering space at a canter. According to Opta, in 2024-25, he hit a top speed of 34.5 km/h, the 10th highest among nominal defensive and central midfielders.

On paper, this seems like a well-balanced midfield partnership, and there were further signs at Hull City on Saturday that a Tielemans/Andrey Santos pivot isn’t viable in that sort of fixture. United’s midfield was stymied, and the pair were unable to cope with the Tigers’ switches of play in transition.

Kobbie Mainoo

On the surface, it may seem like Kobbie Mainoo would be a potential ’loser’ from this deal. Ultimately, Baleba further congests the midfield depth chart and stiffens the competition for the England international.

And Mainoo is playing catch-up at the start of the season. After signing a new deal in April amid a glorious resurgence under Carrick, Mainoo was selected on Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup roster. But his first experience of soccer’s grandest stage wasn’t what he expected. The Red Devil didn’t play a single minute at the tournament, yet still enjoyed a lengthy break following its conclusion.

Thus, Mainoo didn’t feature at all in preseason, and played just 19 minutes off the bench in United’s Premier League opener at Hull. There’s work for the midfielder to do.

However, Carrick thinks the world of the academy graduate, and he is likely to remain a prominent figure in the engine room this season. United needed more options in midfield, given the extra games they’ll play, and Mainoo, in all likelihood, will soon re-establish himself as one of Carrick’s preferred two pivot members.

Baleba would be an excellent partner. While Mainoo is a superior athlete to Tielemans, he’s not yet developed defensively. As Casemiro did to an extent during the second half of last season, Baleba should help mask Mainoo’s deficiencies without the ball, and the pair could be a lot of fun together in possession.

Michael Carrick

The new full-time Man Utd manager has got his wish. The midfield is rebuilt, perhaps not with their dream personnel, yet the Red Devils should be content with their work.

Michael Carrick now has an array of profiles at his disposal that are capable of providing solutions in various types of fixtures and game states.

The revival he oversaw post-Ruben Amorim has thrust United back into the Champions League, and although plenty remain unconvinced by their defense, the club’s clever bolstering of its engine room means there’s nowhere for Carrick to hide.

The additional fixtures will present Carrick with alternate challenges compared to what he faced during his interim spell, with roster management set to be imperative as the club aims to compete on multiple fronts.

He’s already spoken about the need to evolve, with United thriving while stylistically functioning like an underdog over the past 15 years. Despite their success as a counterattacking force, United are unlikely to compete for the Premier League title playing transitional soccer. They must assert control with and without the ball through meticulous pressing and efficient build-up play.

The midfield overhaul has increased the pressure on Carrick to deliver in his first full season at the helm, but has also rendered the discussed evolution more likely.

Losers

Andrey Santos

While Baleba seems like an excellent foil for both Tielemans and Mainoo, there’s a stylistic overlap between the Cameroonian and Andrey Santos, the first midfielder Man Utd signed this summer.

Like Santos, Baleba is a snappy tackler who loves to win duels and cover ground. Santos offers more reliability in the build-up, but perhaps lacks the 22-year-old’s X-factor in possession.

A Santos/Baleba partnership could work, especially in ’big’ games where United are more likely to cede territory and attack space in transition. For the most part, though, alternative partnerships will be used, and there’s every chance Baleba eats into Santos’ opportunities.

Chelsea

Danny Welbeck was the latest to move from Brighton to Chelsea. | May JAMES / AFP via Getty Images

Are Brighton & Hove Albion committing adultery by selling to a Premier League club not called Chelsea? The Blues must be laden with envy right now, with a collective clenched fist rocking West London.

Chelsea supporters have come to believe that Brighton merely exist to feed them players and staff. 16 have made the switch to Stamford Bridge since BlueCo arrived at the helm of the London club, including veteran striker Danny Welbeck, who completed his move at the start of August.

In all seriousness, you wonder if Chelsea may have dipped their toe into a very familiar well in the event of Enzo Fernández joining Manchester City. Unable to rely on the perpetually absent Roméo Lavia, the Blues surely would sign a replacement, and Baleba, although drastically different in profile to the Argentine, may well have been pursued late in the window.

But no, Brighton have conducted business with a rival. A special relationship may well be in tatters.

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