Manchester United have agreed a fee of up to £70m for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba. The 22-year-old Cameroon international will complete his medical this weekend after a breakthrough in negotiations on Friday evening. United will pay an initial £65m, plus a potential £5m in add-ons, while Brighton secured a sell-on clause.

Baleba, who joined Brighton from Lille in 2023, is currently sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during pre-season training in Austria. His signing follows the arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, taking United's summer spending to £153m.

The transfer ends United's midfield rebuilding after Casemiro's departure following his contract expiry. Manuel Ugarte was also expected to leave but suffered a serious knee injury on World Cup duty with Uruguay. Baleba's eagerness to join helped expedite the deal.

It remains to be seen whether United will pursue a dedicated left-back to challenge Luke Shaw, or if Baleba's left-footed play and versatility can provide cover alongside Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui under head coach Michael Carrick.