Manchester United want to strengthen up their midfield before the summer transfer window closes but their lingering PSR concerns still remain.
Manchester United's summer transfer window spending has been a lot more lucrative than some expected to be the case back in May.
Despite missing out on Champions League football, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have both been bought for substantial fees, while Matheus Cunha arrived during the previous financial period. Despite spending so big so far, United do not seem to be done yet.
Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba is widely reported to be on the club's radar. It has been claimed this week that United players have spoken to the 21-year-old about the club's structure, while representatives have been speaking regarding the finances involved with the deal.
The Seagulls are keen not to sell Baleba, and are eager to hold out for £100million or more, when they eventually do decide to move him on. There are no guarantees that Brighton will receive that money from United or anyone else, but those are the figures the Old Trafford giants are working with.
After Sesko, the consensus was that United would be looking to make sales, and that remains the case. Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia all either want to leave or are expected to go this season.
In England, the summer transfer window closes on Monday, September 1 which is - perhaps - not a great deal of time to get all these deals done. While there's confidence that Hojlund will move to AC Milan before then and Garnacho shall hope he's at Chelsea by the time the window slams shut, it still leaves lingering concerns about the remaining trio.
However, plans to sell before signing Baleba are perhaps not as urgent as they at first seem. For starters, United have until June 30, 2026 to balance up the books in line with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
This gives them not one, but two windows to get the unwanted players out. Plus, there is not just the next few weeks remaining for United to sell players. The Saudi and Turkish transfer windows close on September 10 and 11 respectively. While United can't sign players from those regions, they can sell to that market.
For the likes of Antony and Sancho - who have been linked with clubs in both countries - those particular leagues could become a lot more tempting after September 1. The fact of the matter is, this is also a World Cup year and if there is a choice between being frozen out at United until January or going somewhere to play football, then most self-respecting players will choose the latter option.
As mentioned, if needed, United could try again to sell players in January or, in a worst-case scenario, they could sell at the end of the Premier League season prior to the start of the 2026 World Cup and June 30 deadline. At this stage, there won't be much panic from United in terms of their unwanted players remaining on the books prior to striking a Baleba deal, but an eye shall firmly be on the deadline next year to get their accounts in order.