Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Manu Koné, but the move is only one part of a wider midfield search. Carlos Baleba is still in the frame, Brighton have not been contacted officially by United, and the club are still weighing up a third midfield signing rather than trying to force one through.

United's midfield search

Danyal Khan reported that Kone and Baleba are both being strongly considered by Manchester United, with any imminent move described as premature. Graeme Bailey added that United want a player who can help them defensively, which fits the profile of both targets, even if they are not identical solutions.

Bailey also said, "In an ideal world they'd just sign Carlos Baleba. They absolutely love his game. Yes, he didn't have his best season, but they still believe he'd be an outstanding fit for Manchester United."

That leaves Kone as the more advanced option on the player side, but not the only one. Football Italia have also reported him as a cheaper alternative to Baleba, which is part of why United can keep both tracks open without committing to a single path too early.

Baleba remains the benchmark

The case for Baleba is still obvious in the reporting. Bailey's line about United wanting him in an ideal world tells you where the preference sits, while the price discussion helps explain why they are not moving straight away. His valuation has been described as well north of £75 million and closer to £100 million, while United believe he is worth around the £50m mark.

United do at least have momentum from a broader club position. They finished third in the 2025 Premier League table with 71 points, and their last 10 league games brought seven wins, one draw and two defeats. That is a decent place to attack the market from, but it does not mean they need to overpay for the first midfield name on the list.

The more interesting detail is the lack of urgency. United are still revisiting Baleba, but there has been no official club-to-club contact yet, and the Kone agreement does not close the door on anything else. For now, the club look more like they are keeping leverage than chasing a quick announcement.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →