Whether you think £100m+ for Baleba is worth it or not, that’s the going rate for an elite midfielder now — and it’s just the reality of today’s market.
Look at recent deals: Arsenal shelled out €116.6m (around £100m+) for Declan Rice, and Chelsea paid €116m for Moisés Caicedo.
Brighton’s asking price for Baleba isn’t really shocking,€120m (about £100m+). That’s how expensive top midfielders are these days.
You won’t snag that kind of ready-made quality for £30m. Sure, you can sign cheaper players—but most don’t get better, especially under trophy pressure.
Look at Rice and Caicedo: both got time to grow and became world-class. Could Arsenal or Chelsea have done that under immediate expectations? I Doubt it.
If we keep chasing only £30m–£50m names, we’ll never catch up with the very best. Spending big hasn’t always paid off for us in the past, but the solution isn’t to cut spending, it’s to spend smart.
Baleba is about to become one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. Pair him with a talent like Mainoo, world-class pivot built not just for now, but for the next decade.
Worth it? Absolutely. This is a long-term investment, and missing out, especially to a rival would be a huge mistake.
If United are serious about the biggest trophies, you have to spend big to bridge the gap. Ignore that, and sure, you might land a Leicester miracle once in a blue moon, but it won’t be sustainable. 💪🔥