Is Baleba the missing midfield piece for Man Utd?

Three players, three sizeable fees and, they hope, fewer afternoons like the one just endured at Hull.

Baleba will arrive carrying more pressure than the usual 22-year-old new signing. That is partly the product of his fee and partly because United’s opening-day defeat made his job description painfully clear.

Michael Carrick’s side were beaten 2-0 by the newly promoted Tigers, with both goals arriving from first-half set pieces. Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored as United were pushed around in a manner that would have had Casemiro reaching for his passport and asking whether his departure really had been processed.

There were sound reasons to move on from the Brazilian. His legs were no longer entirely reliable in open play and another expensive contract would have made little sense.

But United have replaced Casemiro’s passing, technical security and midfield energy without obviously replacing the thing he did best towards the end: winning physical contests and turning set pieces into goals.

Casemiro scored a career-best nine league goals last season, eight of them directly from dead-ball situations. His anticipation and aggression made him a weapon in the opposition box and a reassuring presence in his own. That is a substantial amount of nuisance to remove from a team in one go.

Tielemans brings control and imagination. Santos offers intelligent positioning and the potential to grow into a high-level holding midfielder.

Getty

Neither, however, is an especially imposing presence. Pairing them at Hull left United with plenty of neat footballers but nobody who looked particularly delighted by the prospect of a scrap under a dropping corner.

Baleba should change the temperature. His best qualities at Brighton were his acceleration, strength in the challenge and ability to carry the ball through pressure. He can cover ground at a speed Casemiro had long since lost and possesses the bite United lacked at the MKM Stadium.

Across 112 Brighton appearances, though, he scored only four goals and supplied two assists. He is a ball-winner and ball-carrier, not a replacement set-piece battering ram.

At around 5ft 10in, Baleba is not markedly bigger than Tielemans or Santos. Athleticism can compensate for inches in open play, but defending a towering centre-back at the back post is another matter.

Getty Images

Carrick may instead have to find the answer among his defenders, adjust United’s marking scheme or accept that Harry Maguire cannot head every corner at both ends.

Baleba nevertheless looks the most important element of the overhaul. United host Ipswich on Saturday before facing Everton and Manchester City, so the Premier League will not wait for their new midfield to introduce itself politely.

The Cameroonian can make them faster, tougher and far less pleasant to play through. Whether he can also stop them being bullied when the ball is hanging above the six-yard box is the £70 million question.

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2026-27 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.