Meet the 17-year-old Man Utd target who’d be a bigger coup than Baleba

Good things come to those who wait, just ask incoming Manchester United signing, Carlos Baleba.

The Cameroonian midfielder had agreed personal terms with United a year ago, only to see a deal fall flat due to Brighton and Hove Albion’s £100m-plus asking price.

That failed switch appeared to derail Baleba’s season initially, having been regularly hooked at the break in the early weeks of the campaign, distracted by the thought of what might have been.

Now, he’s finally got his wish, and for a heavily reduced fee too, with Michael Carrick‘s midfield set to be bolstered by the mobility and athleticism that it’s been crying out for.

How Carrick will use Baleba at Man Utd this season

Having waited a year or so to make the move, Baleba will also have to bide his time to actually make his debut, with an ankle ligament injury likely to keep him out until the latter stages of September.

The hope will be that he does prove worth the time and investment, particularly with there certainly a few doubts surrounding this deal following the 22-year-old’s difficult 2025/26 campaign.

His form had picked up in 2026, however, having enjoyed a particularly strong AFCON over the winter period, beginning to look again like the player who’d dazzled in 2024/25.

The expectation is that he will be the man to provide some much-needed legs alongside either Youri Tielemans or Kobbie Mainoo, likely to compete with Andrey Santos in that number six berth.

A masterful ball carrier, Baleba is someone who can turn defence into attack in an instant with a surging forward run from deep, having ranked in the top 17% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries made per 90 back in 2024/25.

Intriguingly too, the £65m man has previously featured at left-back in pre-seasons gone by at Brighton, while even featuring a handful of times at centre-back in competitive action.

Considering United’s injury woes in that latter role of late, perhaps there is a world where he slots into the backline on occasion, while the failure to secure Lewis Hall’s signature could make him a wildcard option at full-back.

Plenty for Carrick to ponder and work with then, although hopefully INEOS are still making more moves in the market.

Man Utd could still sign midfield sensation after Baleba

With Mainoo still only 21, and with Santos and Baleba just 22, there’s now a fresh, youthful feel to Carrick’s midfield ranks, particularly with Tyler Fletcher also now in the mix too.

That long-term approach has also seen United linked with a move for 18-year-old midfielder, Louis Page, the Red Devils fighting Arsenal to sign the Leicester City teenager.

A similar pursuit could also be on the cards too, with Ontheminute.com reporting that INEOS are rivalling Newcastle United in the race for Ajax starlet, Abdellah Ouazane.

There hasn’t been a formal approach as yet for the 17-year-old from either club, yet with his contract set to expire in 2028, the Premier League pair are monitoring the situation closely.

With only a smattering of senior appearances under his belt, Ouazane may not be a household name like Baleba as yet, but this could represent an even bigger coup as far as INEOS are concerned.

Indeed, a former target for Real Madrid, the Moroccan teenager has been likened to Zinedine Zidane by talent scout Jacek Kulig, a truly balletic, elegant playmaker even at such a young age.

Only recently, he properly announced himself with a thumping finish from range for Ajax against Heerenveen, rifling the ball into the top right-hand corner.

That marked his first goal in the Eredivisie, and while he had been lining up on the left flank on the day, his future seemingly lies in central or attacking midfield, hence the likeness to Zidane.

In the view of analyst and Como scout, Ben Mattinson, while there is a rising crop of Moroccan talent out there, he is “arguably the best of the lot”, some statement considering the growing status of Manchester City-bound 18-year-old, Ayyoub Bouaddi.

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

In Mattinson’s opinion too, Ouazane is “one of the most complete young midfielders in world youth football”, a player who has an almost Kevin De Bruyne or Trent Alexander-Arnold range to his passing.

In that recent Eredivisie clash, for instance, he completed 100% of his dribbles, attempted four shots and registered three key passes, already looking like a standout despite his youth. For comparison, Baleba didn’t debut at Lille in Ligue 1 until he was 18.

Of course, the Brighton man feels like a real midfield monster in the making, but amid those stellar Zidane comparisons, Ouazane’s ceiling might well be far higher.