Manchester United have ‘put the brakes’ on midfield recruitment following the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but know that one transfer target is desperate to make the move to Old Trafford.

It’s been an impressive start to the window for the Red Devils, with around £85million already invested in the centre of the park following the departure of veteran Casemiro.

Carrick now has Santos and Tielemans joining Kobbie Mainoo as he builds a midfield around star man Bruno Fernandes, with Mason Mount also an option, should he remain at Old Trafford. However, Man Utd are expected to add one more player into the mix in order to compete on Premier League and Champions League fronts next season.

Carlos Baleba ‘only wants’ Man Utd

That player could well be Brighton star Carlos Baleba. The 22-year-old signed for the Seagulls from Lille for £23million in 2023 and has gone on to impress over his 92 Premier League appearances to date.

Speaking to the United Stand, GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs has provided the latest on the player. He said: “If they’re prepared to meet the asking price, they could again do it relatively quickly because he is in a scenario like Youri Tielemans, where he said last summer he only wants Manchester United, and the player’s perspective hasn’t changed. So if they come calling, personal terms will not be a problem.

“They could get the player buy-in, which means that they could get that singular negotiation with Brighton instead of a bidding war. But we’re just not at that stage yet because it’s Manchester United that have put the brakes on as they assess who this third midfielder is going to be.”

Brighton want £100m for midfield star

Baleba’s progress hit some turbulence last season as he regularly cut a frustrated figure at the Amex Stadium. The player may not have been helped by a summer of rife transfer speculation 12 months ago, when he had agreed personal terms with Man Utd.

Ultimately, that move did not happen, with no official bid from the club, despite reportedly being willing to pay £75million for the Cameroonian. Brighton could now ask for closer to £100million for a midfielder contracted until 2028, even after falling off the pace last term.

Carrick and chiefs at the Theatre of Dreams will have to weigh up that Seagulls asking price, but are in the privileged place of being afforded time to do so, with Baleba’s heart set on Man Utd.

When Spain take on Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final, one of their biggest taks will be stopping Lionel Messi. He may now be 39 years old, but that still takes some doing.

England found out the hard way that even when his influence can seem limited, Messi can still pop up with telling moments. The Inter Miami star delivered two assists in the space of seven minutes as Lionel Scaloni’s men came from a goal behind to win 2-1 in the semi-final.

Messi has eight goals across the World Cup so far (tied with Kylian Mbappe), while he also has four assists (only bettered by Michael Olise, on five). One former Barcelona teammate, however, has explained how Spain can try to stop the legendary Argentine.

Andres Iniesta Discusses How to Deal With Messi

Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest Spanish players of all time. He scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, while also lifting the Euro 2008 and 2012 trophies. He played his best club football at Barcelona, winning four Champions League titles and La Liga on nine occasions.

Across his career, the iconic midfielder shared the pitch with Messi 488 times – the most of any teammate. With that in mind, Iniesta will have a better idea than most when it comes to stopping the 39-year-old.

Speaking in New York during an interview with El Partidazo de COPE ahead of the World Cup final, the Spaniard spoke about how his nation can win the game. He states that the task of stopping Messi is ‘impossible’, but explained how Spain can still win:

Iniesta then praised his former teammate, adding: “There are no words, or I just don’t know how to describe it. The determination, conviction, and everything he does in every single game is something you just have to take your hat off to.”

Iniesta Reveals ‘No Fear’ Mentality Needed to Win World Cup

Iniesta – who retired from football in 2024, having last played for Spain in 2018 – spoke about the mental part of the game which is required to handle a big occasion such as the World Cup. The 2010 champion urged his countrymen to banish any fear:

Despite having played in some of the greatest teams of all time, known for the beautiful way they played football, Iniesta also insisted that it doesn’t matter how Spain win, just so long as they get across the line.

He concluded: “It’s not even a dilemma, because my answer is that I don’t care who scores it. The important thing, just like back then, is that we walk away as champions. Who scores is secondary, as long as it’s the goal that wins it.”

Newcastle United have tabled a mega-money bid to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Bergvall, according to David Ornstein.

The Magpies are looking to rebuild their squad after a disappointing campaign in 2025/26 which saw them finish in the bottom half of the Premier League and fail to qualify for Europe. That has seen them forced to sell Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, earning £170m combined from Tottenham and Barcelona respectively.

Now the club are pushing to bring in replacements to ensure they can remain competitive, having already brought in Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure, and Seun Steur during the summer transfer window, and the club have made a major bid for a top target.

Newcastle Table Bid for Bergvall

Bergvall, who has been described as ‘unstoppable’, has emerged as a major target for the Magpies, and according to The Athletic, they have tabled a £46m bid.

The Sweden international has made it clear that he wants to leave Spurs this summer as he goes in search of more regular first-team football and a new challenge. Nottingham Forest have seen a bid rejected, with Spurs previously stating that they don’t want to sell the 20-year-old.

However, it’s believed that their recent acquisitions in the transfer market means that they may now be more open to a sale for the right price.

Newcastle’s bid was immediately rejected, with Spurs also having turned down bids worth more in this window, but the Magpies continue to be interested and are considering making a new offer.

The Toon are keen to replace Tonali in their midfield, but are also very alert to the fact that their captain Bruno Guimaraes has told the club he wants to leave in order to pursue a move to Arsenal, who are understood to be preparing a £65m offer for the Brazilian.

Newcastle don’t want to sell the Brazil international, but may be forced to if they receive a major offer, and they are now looking to pre-empt any exit by bringing in reinforcements of their own.

Newcastle Must Move Quickly

Bergvall is widely considered to be one of the top young midfielders in the Premier League following his performances in recent years, and that’s the type of signing that Eddie Howe and Newcastle have prioritised previously.

He has all the talent in the world to come into a Premier League midfield a be a regular starter if there isn’t a place for him at Spurs, and Newcastle could be the perfect landing spot.

However, with so much competition for his signature, and the fact that the club have really struggled to get deals over the line in recent windows, they will have to be efficient and quick if they want to get this one done.