Man Utd transfer news: Carlos Baleba swoop to develop as agent speaks out on move

 Manchester United's anticipation for the new season is almost at an end, with just a few hours remaining until they face off against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has been diligently preparing his squad, aiming to turn around the club's dismal form from the previous season. One strategy he's employed is by overhauling the Reds' frontline in the transfer market.

United have shelled out over £200m this summer in a bid to strengthen their attack - with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all joining the ranks. Despite this spending spree, Amorim's team might not be finished yet.

They're still on the hunt for a new midfielder, amid rumours linking them with Brighton star Carlos Baleba. There could also be departures to negotiate, with Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund all seemingly heading for the exit.

Here, the Daily Star Sport looks at the latest Manchester United transfer news.

Baleba still pushing for move

Carlos Baleba is reportedly still eager to secure a move to Man United, despite Brighton's firm stance. The Seagulls have made it clear in recent days that they have no intention of selling the midfielder under any circumstances.

It's suggested that Baleba would be willing to wait, recognising that he's still developing as a player. However, he remains keen to keep pushing for a move to Old Trafford over the next year.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Premier League opener vs Fulham, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said: "I didn't see any change [in Baleba]. He only changed his hair, so I think that was the only change he made the last two weeks. But overall, he seems to be in a really good place. He's enjoying it with his team-mates, he's enjoying being a Brighton player.

"He's very grateful to have the process he had in the last season, so I didn't see any big change. And he's an option to start for tomorrow."

Neville's transfer verdict

United legend Gary Neville has expressed his astonishment at the club's massive transfer spending this summer - but still believes there's one obvious weakness. He said: "Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko – a lot of eyes on them at United I think Manchester United fans, including myself, are surprised they've gone and spent that level of money.

"We thought that obviously after the Europa League final, that the money wouldn't be there at that level. So to get those three players, who look like a really good profile – two of them have Premier League experience – we need them to do well, because the rest of the team...

"We need a goalkeeper. There are definitely issues with the defence and midfield. But if the three strikers are a real handful and are scoring goals... last season United's return in front of goal was really poor, so it's really important that Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha get off to a really good start."

Sesko's agent discloses sacrifice

Benjamin Sesko's agent has disclosed that he was prepared to forfeit his portion of the fee to facilitate a move to Man United. Speaking on Slovenian channel POP! TV's 24UR programme via GOAL, Elvis Basanovic said: "At one point the clubs (United and Leipzig) were far apart on the valuation.

"United had reached the limit of their budget for the transfer. On the other side Leipzig had demands and expectations which were higher based on Benjamin's value. That created a gap that needed to be solved.

"At one point I decided to give up part of my own fee, to bridge the gap, because I felt it was the right thing to do. For me, a player's wishes and dreams should always come before the agent's interests."