Baleba is a Red Devil, but he's not ready yet

The signing

According to CaughtOffside, United have tied up a deal that puts one of the Premier League's most combative midfielders at Old Trafford for the next five years. The fee, reported at up to £70 million, includes add-ons, so the guaranteed figure sits below that ceiling, but however you cut it, this is United's biggest midfield outlay in years.

Baleba was one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League last season, the kind of player who makes life genuinely difficult for the opposition in the middle of the pitch. Brighton losing him is a real blow for Fabian Hürzeler. United getting him, on paper, is a coup.

The problem

The problem is that Baleba picked up an ankle ligament injury during Brighton's pre-season, and that knock is now pushing back his United debut. CaughtOffside reports the delay, though no precise return date has been confirmed at this stage. Ankle ligament injuries vary considerably in severity, and without a specific timeline from the club, United fans are left doing the maths themselves.

For a club that has already had to manage its midfield carefully, the timing is awkward. United are into the new Premier League season and the player they just paid up to £70 million for is watching from the treatment room.

What it means for United's midfield

In the short term, Ruben Amorim will have to work with what he has. The squad has midfield options, but Baleba was presumably signed to start, not to come off the bench in November once he's finally fit. The weeks he misses at the start of the season are weeks United's system has to function without the player it was presumably built around acquiring.

The 'up to £70 million' structure does offer some comfort: if the add-ons are tied to appearances or performance, a lengthy injury absence could mean the final fee lands meaningfully below the headline number. That is cold comfort for fans who wanted to see him in a red shirt from the first whistle of the season.

United will be hoping the ankle responds quickly. The player is signed, the contract is long, and the quality is not in doubt. No return date has been confirmed; United's midfield will have to manage without him in the meantime.