Manchester United have proven plan they can unleash to sign Carlos Baleba this summer

Manchester United have proven plan they can unleash to sign Carlos Baleba this summer

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba has been heavily linked with Manchester United in recent days as their summer transfer window focus switches

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba (Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Manchester United's summer transfer window has been a lot better than many expected, ourselves included.

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Ruben Amorim's strategy to underpromise and over deliver has worked a treat so far. As recently as the tour of the USA, Amorim was insisting that he would be happy to not have a centre-forward sign this summer, having already brought in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

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Now, as we enter matchweek one, Amorim has Benjamin Sesko in his camp to potentially deploy against Arsenal. It is fair to suggest that we can take what the United head coach says about transfers with a heavy pinch of salt.

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After the Fiorentina draw on Saturday, Amorim insisted that United needed to improve in 'certain areas' ahead of the visit from the Gunners. Wisely, the boss chose to leave his comments open to interpretation - he may have simply meant they needed to improve within themselves.

However, the consensus is that United would like to add a central midfielder to their ranks before the September 1 deadline, and Carlos Baleba's name is being mentioned as the favourite for that strengthening. There have been reports that United are in near-constant contact with Baleba's representatives before they pull the trigger on a move for the Cameroonian.

Should he remain the top target, United already have a plan that has worked once to bring him to the club. In their painful negotiations for Mbeumo, Andre Onana earned his stripes as an agent for the club.

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Bryan Mbeumo has linked up with his new Manchester United teammates during the pre-season tour of the US (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Having known Mbeumo from their time in the Cameroon camp, Onana worked hard to persuade the forward that Old Trafford was the best move for his career. His chats paid off, with the duo sitting next to each other on the flight to the USA the day after the Reds confirmed the deal.

Baleba is a relatively new face to international football, having only made his first appearance for his country's senior squad last year. Nevertheless, he will have some form of awareness and relationship with both Onana and Mbeumo, so United could deploy a two-pronged charm offensive to persuade the 21-year-old to move to the club.

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Of course, as the Mbeumo deal showed, it is not always as easy as having a friendly face asking you to join them in this new adventure. But, if United are going to end their transfer window with another impressive signing, they will need all the help from within they can get.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

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