Man Utd transfer news: Baleba chase takes twist as Gary Neville reveals verdict

Manchester United are in the middle of their preparations for their Premier League opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford but transfer still remain on the agenda for the Red Devils

Manchester United’s long wait for the new season is nearly over. There’s just a few hours to go until the Red Devils take on Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has been hard at work getting his squad prepared as he attempts to improve on the club’s rotten form from last season. One way he has gone about that is splashing the cash in the transfer market.

United have spent over £200m this summer in an effort to bolster the club’s attack - Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all having signed. And despite that outlay, Amorim’s side might not be done there.

They are still after a new midfielder amid links with Brighton star Carlos Baleba. There might also be exits to thrash out, with Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund all primed for the exit door.

With that being said, take a look at the latest transfer news and rumours coming out of Old Trafford over the past 24 hours:

Carlos Baleba is reportedly still keen to secure a move to Man United despite Brighton’s hard-line stance. The Seagulls have made it known over the past couple of days that they do not want to sell the midfielder under any circumstances.

It is suggested that Baleba would be willing to bide his time as he is aware that he is still developing. But he is still keen to keep pushing over the next 12 months to secure a switch to Old Trafford.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Premier League opener vs Fulham, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said: "I didn't see any change [in Baleba]. He only changed his hair, so I think that was the only change he made the last two weeks. But overall, he seems to be in a really good place. He's enjoying it with his team-mates, he's enjoying being a Brighton player.

"He's very grateful to have the process he had in the last season, so I didn't see any big change. And he's an option to start for tomorrow."

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Man United icon Gary Neville has revealed his surprise at the club’s huge transfer outlay this summer - but still thinks there is one glaring weakness. He said: “Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko – a lot of eyes on them at United I think Manchester United fans, including myself, are surprised they’ve gone and spent that level of money.

“We thought that obviously after the Europa League final, that the money wouldn’t be there at that level. So to get those three players, who look like a really good profile – two of them have Premier League experience – we need them to do well, because the rest of the team…

“We need a goalkeeper. There are definitely issues with the defence and midfield. But if the three strikers are a real handful and are scoring goals… last season United’s return in front of goal was really poor, so it’s really important that Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha get off to a really good start.”

The agent of Benjamin Sesko has revealed that he was willing to give up his part of the fee in order to push through a move to Man United. Speaking on Slovenian outlet POP! TV's 24UR programme via GOAL Elvis Basanovic said: "At one point the clubs (United and Leipzig) were far apart on the valuation.

“United had reached the limit of their budget for the transfer. On the other side Leipzig had demands and expectations which were higher based on Benjamin's value. That created a gap that needed to be solved.

"At one point I decided to give up part of my own fee, to bridge the gap, because I felt it was the right thing to do. For me, a player's wishes and dreams should always come before the agent's interests."