Scholes Warns Man Utd Against Baleba, Favors Wharton

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has cautioned his former club against pursuing a £100 million deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, suggesting the 21-year-old lacks the quality needed to bolster Ruben Amorim's squad. In a recent Sky Sports interview, Scholes ranked Baleba below two other Premier League targets, Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, ultimately favoring Wharton as the best option despite reservations about all three fitting United's traditional midfield demands.

United showed strong interest in Baleba during the summer transfer window, aiming to add depth in central midfield after a challenging previous season that saw them finish 15th in the Premier League and lose the Europa League final. However, Brighton's valuation, exceeding £100 million, proved too steep, leading the club to pivot toward attacking reinforcements instead. They invested over £200 million on forwards Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, along with goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp. Baleba remains on a shortlist for January, alongside Anderson and Wharton, as Amorim...