Manchester United have agreed a £70m deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba. The deal is worth £65m guaranteed, plus £5m in add-ons, and Brighton have also inserted a sell-on clause. Baleba is expected to sign a five-year contract with Manchester United and will undergo his medical in the next 24 hours.

Sky Sports News has been reporting on United's interest in Baleba since last autumn and broke the news that they enquired about signing him during the January transfer window. Baleba is recovering from an ankle ligament injury picked up in pre-season, but it is not expected to keep him out for an extended period. He remained one of United's top targets this summer and will become their third midfield addition after Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

Baleba joined Brighton from Lille in 2023 and made 112 appearances for the club. He featured 35 times last season and was absent for a spell while representing Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations.

A year ago, Baleba appeared to have the world at his feet after a breakout season at Brighton, but his form subsequently dipped dramatically. That makes this a gamble, but stylistically few midfielders are better suited to what United need. Still only 22, there remains a belief he can develop into one of the world's best midfielders.