Gary Lineker names next signing that ‘would make a difference’ at Manchester United after Benjamin Sesko’s arrival

Former England forward Gary Lineker is convinced that Carlos Baleba would make a difference at Manchester United. The Red Devils are reportedly hot on the heels of the Cameroonian midfielder, who has caught the eye with Brighton & Hove Albion in recent times.

Last season, Baleba registered four goals and two assists from 40 games across competitions for the Seagulls. Still only 21 years old, the player is expected to become even better with time.

Manchester United have been quite busy in the transfer window so far. The Red Devils have signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Diego Leon, and Benjamin Sesko, and reportedly have set their sights on Baleba next.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said that the Premier League giants need the Cameroonian's legs in midfield.

"That would make a difference because he’s got the legs that they need in that kind of area," said Lineker.

However, the Englishman believes that Ruben Amorim's men could be in for another difficult campaign ahead, despite investing heavily in new signings.

"We don’t know how good Sesko is going to be in the Premier League, he scored 13 [league] goals last season. Mid-table? I see mid-table. They need to improve on last season so I think to get into Europe, and it seems ridiculous saying this about Manchester United, but getting any kind of European football next season would probably be a bonus," said Lineker.

The Red Devils ended up in 15th place in the Premier League last season and lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

How much will Manchester United have to pay for Carlos Baleba this summer?

Manchester United are willing to pay £70m for Carlos Baleba this summer, according to The Athletic via First Post. However, the report adds that Brighton & Hove Albion want £112m to part ways with their young star this summer.

Baleba is under contract with the Seagulls until 2028, so they have the upper hand in negotiations. The Red Devils, understandably, will have to break their transfer record to sign the Cameroonian this year.

Manchester United reportedly signed Paul Pogba for £89.3m in 2016, but may have to pay a significantly higher fee for Baleba, with Brighton known to be shrewd negotiators. However, with Casemiro already on the wrong side of 30, and Manuel Ugarte still finding his feet in the Premier League, a move for the Cameroonian does make sense for the Red Devils.

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Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit