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(Credit: Imago)

Oliver Walton

Wed 6 August 2025 21:47, UK

Man United could include Toby Collyer in a deal to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton as they plan an approach for the highly-rated midfielder.

Man United’s busy summer window has seen them mainly focus on attacking signings, with both Bryan Mbeumo brought in from Brentford and Matheus Cunha signed from Wolves for big fees.

The Red Devils look set to bring in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko too soon, but if that is completed, it looks as if Ruben Amorim is set to focus on bringing in a midfielder that can mainly plays box-to-box or just in front of the defence.

(Credit: Manh Tung – Breaking Media)

Football Insider recently revealed that Kobbie Mainoo is set to stay at Old Trafford this summer, and he could be joined by Brighton star Baleba after The Athletic (6 August) reported that United have made contact with the Seagulls, via intermediaries, to explore a deal for the Cameroon international.

Their report states that Brighton do not intend to sanction a sale ahead of the new season, however, and so while the Red Devils may not get their main this summer, they could go back in for him next year and use Collyer to sweeten any potential deal.

The Athletic reported on 29 July that 21-year-old Collyer “might go out on loan” this summer, with “several clubs taking a look” at him as a potential option for the coming season.

Amorim has Casemiro, Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Mason Mount ahead of him in the midfield pecking order right now, and Collyer himself recently admitted that he needed to talk to the boss about his future, saying: “I’ll sit down with the manager and higher-ups and see what’s the best solution for that and the best way for me to develop, whether it’s stay here or go on loan.”

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The BBC recently stated that United have “no intention of selling” him anytime soon, so it is only a loan that looks likely in the coming weeks, but their view might change next summer if he enjoys a decent spell at whichever club he joins soon, and if they can land Baleba.

Collyer will be one year away from his initial contract expiry date next summer, and at 22, his long-term future at Old Trafford will surely be called into question with a breakthrough ahead of any of their stars seemingly unlikely.

The Red Devils may not get a deal done for Baleba this summer, but they could return for him in the next, and using Collyer as a makeweight in any deal would make a lot of sense for both parties.

Collyer would surely be open to a move to the Seagulls, as they are his boyhood club, and he spent over six years in their academy as a youngster, making his way from under-12 level to the under-23’s at just 17-years-old before moving to United in 2022.

He is also much more likely to get game-time at the top level at the AMEX Stadium, at least compared to at United, and Baleba is also more likely to available, with The Athletic stating that Brighton favour keeping hold of him for at least another year, indicating that they could be more open to a move in 2026.

With the capture of Baleba looking likely to be on the back burner for another season, Amorim could well choose not to enter the market for a new number six, and instead go with what he has got for another year.

Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

The Red Devils reportedly recognise that a move for Baleba now may be unrealistic, with “a raft of lucrative sales” needed for them to be able to afford big-money moves for Sesko and the Cameroonian.

It would make little sense to spend a smaller fee on a player who is not going to impact Amorim’s first-team when they can just go big next year on Baleba, and so Sesko’s arrival could well spell the end of the north-west giants’ big summer spending.

But with some potentially unfinished business on the south coast for Collyer a return could work out for all parties.