Five midfielders Man Utd could sign after Carlos Baleba transfer blow

Manchester United should consider signing five top midfield talents after missing out on Brighton's Carlos Baleba.

After finally securing a deal for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko for a reported fee of £74million last week, United turned their attention to their midfield.

Almost immediately, Ruben Amorim's side was linked with Brighton star Baleba, with United quickly informing their Premier League rivals that they were interested in signing the Cameroon international.

However, after reports revealed that the sales of Joao Pedro, Pervis Estupinan and Simon Adingra meant that Brighton's view was that Baleba was not for sale, United pulled out of the deal.

But that does not necessarily mean that United will abandon their hopes of signing a midfielder this summer, as there are five other players that the club could consider.

Baleba has been strongly linked with United this summer. Image: Getty

Morten Hjulmand

Shortly after news of the Baleba deal collapsing broke online, the BBC's Simon Stone confirmed that United could turn to Morten Hjulmand, the captain of Amorim's former club Sporting Lisbon, as a back-up option.

"They have been linked with Sporting skipper Morten Hjulmand, someone Amorim knows very well from their time working together in Portugal," Stone wrote.

"Someone I have spoken to with an understanding of Hjulmand's situation believes the 26-year-old Denmark midfielder will move this summer.

"United do need to start selling players but I am guessing that if they exhaust their inquiries for Baleba, their sights may turn to Lisbon."

The 26-year-old joined from French side Lecce in 2023 and has won two Primeira Liga titles with Sporting, where he has racked up close to 100 appearances.

Javi Guerra

Should Amorim decide against raiding his former club, he may turn his attention to Valencia’s Guerra, who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the summer.

Earlier in the window, a report from French journalist Sebastien Vidal claimed that the Spanish midfielder had been given a verbal green light to join United for a fee of around £21.5m.

Meanwhile, reports from Spanish outlet Marca have also suggested that the 22-year-old is increasingly likely to leave Valencia this summer after he rejected a new contract proposal.

Guerra made 36 appearances for Valencia last season.

Ruben Amorim could reunite with Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand this summer. (Image: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Angelo Stiller

Another midfielder that has been strongly linked with United this summer is VfB Stuttgart's Stiller, who has previously been linked with a move to Liverpool.

The 24-year-old was one of the most important players for the Bundesliga side last season, playing a total of 2,741 minutes across the campaign.

Previous rumours have suggested that Xabi Alonso had hoped to bring add Stiller to his already impressive Real Madrid midfield, but it now appears unlikely that they will make a move.

Should United decided to make a move for the youngster, then it is believed that Stiller could be available for as little as €60m (£51.8m), much cheaper than the £100m cost that they were reportedly prepared to pay for Baleba.

Adam Wharton

Alongside both Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, several reports have suggested that Crystal Palace star Wharton could be available this summer.

Should this be the case, it would seem ridiculous for United not to launch a pursuit for the Englishman given his impressive performances for both club and country.

Last season, the 21-year-old made 27 appearances for Palace in all competitions after undergoing groin surgery, and has been linked with several Premier League sides in recent months.

But, if United are hoping to pry Wharton away from London, a report from The Independant claims that he could cost them even more than the £100m that they planned to bid for Baleba.

Adam Wharton won the Community Shield with Crystal Palace last week. (Image: Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Ederson

Finally, Atalanta star midfielder Ederson could be the perfect signing for United should he be available this summer.

Given the fact that he played 49 games for a Serie A side that play a similar system to Amorim's United, the Brazilian could likely slot straight into the starting lineup in midfield.

And at 25 years old, it is likely that he will only continue to improve throughout any contract he may sign with United.

Previous reports have suggested that Ederson could be available for as little as £40-45m, meaning he is one of the cheapest midfield options potentially on the market right now.