Manchester United name Carlos Baleba alternative while £70m striker attracts Premier League interest

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GB News

Ben McCaffrey

By Ben McCaffrey


Published: 14/08/2025

- 21:11

It has been a busy transfer window so far at Old Trafford

Manchester United have named a £50million alternative to Carlos Baleba, while their £70million striker Rasmus Hojlund has attracted interest from a Premier League club amid his uncertain future.

Ruben Amorim's side contacted Brighton at the start of the month regarding the availability of their midfielder Carlos Baleba. They were met with a firm answer: stump up £120m, then we can talk.


For a player with just 82 senior league appearances and just two years in the Premier League, it's a substantial fee - even United can recognise that.

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The price tag has led Amorim to revert to a familiar face - Morten Hjulmand, captain of Sporting.

Morten Hjulmand

Morten Hjulmand joined Sporting for £15million from Lecce in 2023

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GETTY

The 26-year-old, who is also Denmark's skipper, has been linked with a £50m switch to Old Trafford.

He has been at the club since 2023, after his £15m move from Lecce in 2023.

Amorim admired Hjulmand at Sporting, featuring in almost every game for the Portuguese coach, and the 40-year-old even handed him the armband.

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Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim is said to be a big fan of Morten Hjulmand

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PA

He is known for his excellent passing range and industrious, arduous work in the middle of the park. However, he does lack the legs that Baleba can provide, and often finds himself in the referee's book - he has more than 20 yellow cards over the last two campaigns.

The midfielder provides a known entity for Amorim, and one that could adequately plug the hole in the midfield they are desperately trying to fill.

His release clause stands at £68m, but the Portuguese outfit could be open to accepting a fee closer to £50m if certain add-ons are met, according to The Sun.

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While one Dane could be coming through the door at Old Trafford, another may be leaving.

With United's £74m acquisition of explosive Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, game time for Rasmus Hojlund is expected to drastically reduce.

The striker has barely featured since scoring against Bournemouth in the Premier League Summer Series, indicating Amorim's position on the striker.

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Rasmus Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund didn't even come off the bench in Manchester United's final pre-season friendly against Atalanta

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GETTY

The club are said to be open to his sale after the 22-year-old has struggled in front of goal during his two seasons at the club.

The Danish international has been subject to interest from Serie A giants Inter and AC Milan, with the clubs only offering a loan plus option-to-buy deals, totalling around £40m.

This type of deal does not suit the Red Devils. They are looking to offload the striker, who scored just four Premier League goals last campaign, on a permanent deal - and a Premier League club could be about to offer that.

With Rodrigo Muniz attracting interest from Atalanta in the Serie A, Fulham could be looking to replace their Brazilian forward with Hojlund.

The west London club slapped a £50m price tag on Muniz, which is what United have asked for Hojlund, and a deal could be agreed within that region if Muniz is to leave the club.

One condition the Cottagers have insisted on, though, is that Hojlund wants to join the club. The Dane has insisted on staying and becoming United's true number nine, raising concerns for Marco Silva as to whether the player would actually want to join.

However, even if Muniz stays, the expectation around Old Trafford is that Hojlund's time at the club is over.