Manchester United has received a big blow in their pursuit of Carlos Baleba.
The Red Devils opened conversations with Brighton, via intermediaries, hoping to close a deal for the 21-year-old earlier this month.
Although the player is said to be open to the move, his price tag of more than £ 100 million after a summer of heavy spending for United meant that every deal would be difficult.
And comments from Seagulls -Baas Fabian Hurzeler before the Premier League season starts, have also made doubts about the move that this window is completed.
The German boss said that he was: “whole, whole, very confident,” the Cameroon International will remain a Brighton player this season and add the only difference he has seen is a change in his hair.
It is no secret for anyone who has viewed United under Ruben Amorim that they are desperate on a strong two -way midfielder to be in their pivot, with options such as Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro who appear to be not to De Standaard.
So with Baleba no longer on the table, the question raises, who can United focus on the market?
Sunsport has identified five statistically comparable players as Baleba as alternative options for midfield, including two Amorim favorites and two Premier League stars.
Amadou Onana
We start with the star that probably looks the most on Baleba in the form of Aston Villa star Amadou Onana, and with PSR implications in playing it is obvious that United can cook a movement.
Onana, who will be 24 tomorrow, was rather a target for Old Trafford bosses before he completed a £ 50 million switch to Villa Park last summer.
An impressive player during his time at the Toffees, Onana was the key to help Unai Emery's side to protect a top six finish and was heavily missed when he sustained a hamstring injury in February.
Compared to Baleba last season, the Belgian midfielder has an almost identical passing range of his counterpart from Brighton, with Onana fitting 3.83 fits in the last third per 90 minutes completed to Balebas 3.68.
Onana also enjoyed a superior progressive transit rate, clocked in 4.17 progressive steps per 90 to Balebas 3.99, while the Villaster is also the superior player in terms of successful Take-On with a success rate of 70 percent in Dribbels-Upveld compared to Baleba's 57.9 percent.
Statistic, however, Baleba is a better carrier of the ball with 32.8 carries per 90 to Onana's 30.7 per 90.
Both also showed excellent defensive bravery, although Baleba is the better ball winner in the middle third, with 3.61 assets that were won there per 90, to Onana's 2.44, and also drawing up better intercept figures.
That said, Onana surpasses Baleba in duels won per 90, 7.26 to 6.71, and tackles with 3.05 to 2.66.
Morten Hjulmand
Sunsport has exclusively revealed that United Chiefs will focus their attention on Sporting Lisbon's Morten Hjulmand if they miss Baleba.
The 26-year-old was one of Amorim's favorites during their time at Sporting and would cost half what Baleba would do.
It is easy to see why the Danish midfielder is so high when he looks at his numbers per 90 minutes, won with 6.44 possessions, won 5.59 duels, wearing 8.39 fits in the last third and 11.02.
The respective figures of Baleba for these statistics have been 6.64 total possessions won, 6.71 duels won, 5.32 fits in the last third and 13.98.
Although they can both fulfill similar roles defensively, Hjulmand offers a superior passage compared to the superior bearing capacity of Baleba.
The chance this season is that a midfielder will play in the middle together with club captain Bruno Fernandes, so the profile will have to compliment him.
Lucas Bergvall
Lucas Bergvall van Tottenham may not be a player who is immediately considered with Baleba as a like-for-like.
In another timeline, however, the Teenage Starlet could have been wearing the shirt of the Red Devils.
The Swede was a dual trial at United, in the first place when he was at as a Brommapojkarna in 2020 at 15, before a second test in 2022 shortly after he turned 16.
But the turnover of United recruitment staff in 2022 saw him slip through the cracks, eventually freeing the way for the 19-year-old to arrive at Spurs from Djurgården in February 2024.
And as fate would like, the figures from Bergvall indicate that he is a solid Baleba alternative.
They are comparable in a number of aspects, where Bergvall has won 2,91 tackles per 90, 6.42 duels, 4.93 fits in the last third and 16.72, which makes it marginally worse than Baleba in duules and passing forward, but better in tackling activities and wearing activities.
That said, Bergvall started much fewer matches last season than Balba, until both his relative youth and in the pecking order until injuries gave him the opportunity to play.
He was a late replacement in the Super Cup defeat of Spurs against PSG on Wednesday, but could be a key name under Thomas Frank.
In January, the Swedish media claimed that Spurs had hit a price tag of £ 44 million, and after an impressive end of the season, that price will only be raised, which could make a potential relocation even more difficult for the young person.
Mateus Fernandes
In contrast to the rest of the names on this list, Mateus Fernandes can be much easier to be feasible because they no longer play in the top flight.
However, a look at the figures behind the 21-year-old make an interesting lecture for the Southampton star.
The spiky Portuguese bait – who became a member of the Saints of Sporting Lisbon last summer – had won 2.76 tackles per 90, 6.48 duels, wearing 12.38 total and 4.59 successful passes in the last third part.
Fernandes is again a player that Amorim is familiar with, together in Portugal from their time.
Amorim was still in the neighborhood when Fernandes left for the Premier League, and the man Utd -Baas gave a glowing review of the star and said: “What we lost is a player. A young man with a lot of value who, in my opinion, has the characteristics to be a great player.
“But choices were made. And then of course we do everything together.
“We really wanted to keep mateus. And to be honest, I think Mateus would like to stay, even though it was a big contract and a big league. It was a difficult time for everyone.”
Reports suggest that Southampton has already rejected £ 30 million from West Ham and want to £ 50 million for him – a price that United could pay, while they can also prove their midfield in the future.
Felix Nmecha
Felix Nmecha represents the exact type of player that United has signed this summer in terms of age.
The 24-year-old German, who signed for Borussia Dortmund in 2023 for £ 26 million after the youth ranks in Manchester City, has already been linked to United by German Outlet Bild.
In March it was claimed that the Red Devils were willing to make an offer worth more than £ 41 million to land him.
His time at both Dortmund and City has handed him experience in the Champions League – a level of play United wants to return to next season.
And his figures place Nmecha at a higher level than Baleba in terms of passing capacity, with 7.03 successful passes in the last third per 90 and 3.34 successful long steps per 90, compared to the 5.32 last third passes of the Brighton Man and 2.19 long passages respectively.
However, Baleba is the superior ball winner and progressive carrier, with 6.71 duels won per 90 compared 5.96, 2.75 tackles per 90 to 2.03, 1.55 intercepts per 90 to 1.37 and 2.93 progressive carries per 90 compared to 1.85.
Although he can also impose a claim at the highest level of European football, it is perhaps the most important disadvantage against Nmecha's lack of premical experience.
Yet United did not stop signing Benjamin Sesko from the Bundesliga, and unlike Brighton, they know that Dortmund is a club that is always willing to sell for the right price.
Solutions from our own soil
Of course there is an argument for the progress of own talent at United.
The club has invested heavily in their academy, whereby the dividends in the youth levels pays through a very successful setup under 18.
There is also the mystery of the 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, undoubtedly just as talented as Baleba, if not, who played a few minutes in the preseason as one of the two deeper midfielders.
He is excellent with wearing the ball and is rarely expropriated, even when he is under pressure, making it a huge asset to bring the ball out of the back.
The concern around him is his approach to bravery, but the figures from Mainoo are not won far away with 1.58 tackles per 90 compared to Balebas 1.55.
With United, most of the season only plays one match a week, a Mainoo Renaissance by making him the core of midfield, should all be United to solve their problems – but Amorim should have trust in the Carrington graduated to make that happen.