MBEUMO URGES PREMIER LEAGUE ACE TO JOIN MAN UNITED
Man United's Bryan Mbeumo is reportedly 'trying to entice' Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba to join the club. The Cameroon teammates have grown close, with Mbeumo acting as a 'big brother' figure on international duty.
Carlos Baleba, a colleague from Cameroon, is being courted by Bryan Mbeumo to join Manchester United.
The Sun claims that despite his short tenure at Old Trafford, the £71 million Brentford acquisition is making an effort to contribute to the team's strength.
According to reports, Mbeumo has been attempting to persuade Brighton's 21-year-old midfield dynamo of the possible transfer over the international break because he views him as a "little brother".
During the summer transfer window, Brighton resisted United's interest in Baleba and demanded more than £100 million. With a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool coming up with Ruben Amorim under a lot of pressure, United is presently ranked tenth in the league.
Mbeumo and Baleba have become closer since serving together for Cameroon on an international assignment.
When Cameroon lost to minnows Cape Verde in September, the forward was spotted comforting Baleba and shielding him from a pitch invasion.
After returning from international service, when he was allegedly attempting to convince Carlos Baleba to join, Bryan Mbeumo was seen reporting for Man United training on Thursday.
In the summer, Baleba (left) was linked to a move to United, but it never happened.
Brighton brought the midfield player in to replace Moises Caicedo, who made them £73 million when he sold to Chelsea, so if they do wind up cashing in on him, it will once again show to be fantastic business.
Baleba only cost the Seagulls £23 million to acquire from Lille, but after an incredible season, his value has already more than tripled.
However, the young player has had a rather difficult start to the season, and his manager, Fabian Hurzeler, acknowledges that the United interest might have been a distraction.
He earlier clarified: "A little boy may be profoundly impacted, even if he is not expressing it, when he reads that Manchester United is interested and has made a sizable offer."
Understanding that a large club will make a significant offer to acquire you when you perform well is another aspect of development.
"Then, to continue striving to be modest, remain here, be intelligent, and attempt to move forward with the team."
"I am a football coach because, first and foremost, of course, I am infatuated with football," he continued.
Observing the growth and progress of the young players comes in second. helping them get through some difficult times as well.
Although Baleba's season has not started well, his boss is certain he will improve.
According to reports, Mbeumo and Baleba became close while Mbeumo was serving for Cameroon abroad.
For instance, we discuss Carlos a lot. Last season, he made amazing progress, and everyone was thrilled with him.
"There is a wave right now, and it is crucial to stick with him, encourage him, and support him." I also truly appreciate these times.
It is not just about being present when things are well, in my opinion. When you are successful, it is simple.
After finishing second in the group behind Cape Verde with a victory and a draw during the international break, Mbeumo, Baleba, and company will now have to compete in a play-off to qualify for the World Cup.
With a key role against bitter rivals Liverpool this Sunday, the forward, who has been one of Amorim's team's bright spots this season, might win over even more supporters.
The next week, when Brighton plays Man United away from home, Baleba will be reunited with his "big brother" after playing for Brighton against Newcastle.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
