Carlos Baleba quickly deletes cheeky Old Trafford comment on Instagram ahead of match against Manchester United

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba appeared to joke about joining Manchester United in a now deleted post ahead of the Seagull's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has been on the search for a new defensive midfielder, with Manchester United enquiring about signing Baleba during the summer transfer window. However, Brighton maintained that Baleba wasn't up for sale ahead of the ongoing season.

The Cameroon international will be hoping to solidify his credentials as one of the best midfielders in the division as he prepares to lock horns with United.

Notably, Baleba shared a graphic preview of the game with the caption 'Coming to Old Trafford' alongside a laughing face image. The 21-year-old quickly deleted the post and re-uploaded the graphic without the cheeky comment.

Baleba has been substituted at half-time in three out of eight Premier League games he has played for Brighton so far this season. Speaking about the decision, Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler made his stance clear on Baleba's performances.

Hurzeler stated that it is very important for him to set his demands right and suggested the decision was made to let Baleba know that he has room for improvement. He told Sky Sports:

"It’s important to be very clear about what you expect from players on the pitch, off the pitch. And it’s important to build relationships where you can criticise or give personal feedback they might not be happy about, but they understand the intention behind it.

"Carlos won’t get better if he only gets compliments and claps from outside. I think he will get better if he has a safe environment, but also honest feedback where he knows what he needs to improve. That’s where we try to support him and make him better."

Baleba is under contract at Brighton until the summer of 2028. Manchester United are expected to return with an offer to sign him in 2026.

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Bryan Mbeumo working on convincing Baleba to join Manchester United: Reports

If reports are to be believed, Carlos Baleba's Cameroon teammate Bryan Mbeumo is working behind-the-scenes to try and convince the midfielder to join Manchester United. Mbeumo joined the Red Devils from Brentford in the summer transfer window, and recently scored for United in their win over Liverpool.

But before the game at Anfield, The Sun reported that Mbeumo and Baleba formed a close relationship during Cameroon's World Cup qualifying campaign. It was also claimed that Mbeumo is like a 'big brother' to Baleba, with the former quietly trying to broker a transfer to Old Trafford.

Baleba will be hoping to secure World Cup qualification with Cameroon before considering a move to join Mbeumo at club level.