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Man Utd eye Carlos Baleba transfer alternative as £78m stance clear
Reach Daily Express | January 20, 2026 11:41 PM CST

Manchester United are still basking in the glory of a resounding 2-0 win over local rivals Manchester City in Saturday's derby at Old Trafford. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu handed interim head coach Michael Carrick an ideal start to life back at the club

The Reds now face a stern challenge against Arsenal on Sunday as they aim for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League. It is expected that United will have a quiet January transfer window as they weigh up their options for the next permanent head coach.

Securing a spot in Europe's elite competition would undoubtedly make Old Trafford a more attractive proposition ahead of the summer transfer window. Here's a round-up of the latest United transfer news and rumours, along with our take on each....

Baleba alternative

United are reportedly eyeing Sunderland's highly-rated star Noah Sadiki. GiveMeSport suggests that the Reds might consider offloading Manuel Ugarte and bringing in Sadiki as his replacement.

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United are in need of bolstering their midfield, and Sadiki would be a significantly cheaper option than Brighton's £100million-rated Carlos Baleba. The versatile 21-year-old, who can play in multiple positions, joined from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise for £15m in the summer and has made 16 appearances this season for the Black Cats.

Isaac Seelochan of Express sport sayd: "Sadiki may be a cheaper alternative, but he has only proven himself after one season in the Premier League, while Baleba has demonstrated his talent for a longer period. If United are serious about strengthening their midfield, they should be looking for the best in class."

£78m stance clear

Red Bull's managing director, Oliver Mintzlaff, has disclosed that Leipzig would be open to rejecting bids around £78m for Yan Diomande, a winger linked with United. "As chairman of the supervisory board, I would say he will definitely be with us next season - even if there were an offer of €80 or €90 million (£78m)," he said to Sky. "Not a single interested club has come forward yet.

"You simply can't let go of such a young player, whom we just signed, after only one year. He's extremely young and playing his first Bundesliga season. We've worked to ensure that players can stay a bit longer."

However, Mintzlaff did concede that retaining Diomande in the long run might prove challenging. He added: "The truth is that, while we are a very ambitious Bundesliga club, there are also other top clubs. In the past, we have repeatedly had to let good players go - partly to generate transfer revenue, and partly because they were ready to take the next step in their careers."

Isaac Seelochan from the Manchester Evening News says: "Diomande would be an excellent signing for United but with funds tight at Old Trafford, the Reds do not need a new winger. Midfield should be their focus this summer and potentially a new striker as well, considering Benjamin Sesko's struggles and Joshua Zirkzee likely to leave."

Mateta update

Juventus have seemingly abandoned their pursuit of Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta as they search for attacking reinforcements. The Italian heavyweights are understood to be unwilling to meet Palace's reported £34.7million (€40m) valuation for the France international and are now weighing up a bid for Fenerbahce's Youssef En-Nesyri, the 28-year-old Morocco striker.

Mateta was believed to be receptive to the potential switch and personal terms would not have posed a problem.

Isaac Seelochan of the Express says: "Mateta could be a good signing for United, but it's hard to tell if he will be able to make the step up from Palace. His form has been slightly patchy this season and may be swallowed up by the high expectations at Old Trafford."


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