Man Utd widens midfield search for January, keeps 2026 targets

Manchester United have shifted their midfield recruitment strategy ahead of the January transfer window, prioritising several alternative targets amid concerns about Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba and interest in Atletico Madrid's Conor Gallagher, club sources said. The club is now weighing short-term, midseason options while preserving longer-term plans for bigger moves in 2026.

United approached Baleba's representatives over the summer and were told the player would be receptive to a move, but Brighton set a price reportedly in excess of 100 million and have signalled they will not sell in January. Sources said Baleba has also struggled for consistent full-match minutes this season, having yet to complete a Premier League game, prompting United to delay serious negotiations for the Cameroonian until at least 2026.

That pause has led recruitment staff to expand their shortlist. Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson are now being considered as prime alternatives, with monitoring expected to continue into the new year. Both players are contracted to their clubs and, according to people familiar with United's planning, are not widely...