Baleba’s camp sounds out Man United as defensive midfield search continues after Ederson deal collapses

Carlos Baleba's camp have contacted Manchester United to explore their interest in signing the Brighton midfielder this summer.

Manchester United have tracked the progress of Baleba across his three seasons in thePremier League and explored a deal to sign the 22-year-old 12 months ago.

The Cameroon international endured a mixed campaign at Brighton last season, though remains well-regarded at Old Trafford.

Manchester United remain keen to sign a defensive midfielder before the closure of the transfer window, having already addedYouri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to their midfield group.

AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone and Baleba are both under consideration, with the latter now attempting to engineer his own move.

Fabrizio Romano is reporting that there has been an approach from the player's side to Manchester United to express his interest in joining the club. Baleba considers a move to Old Trafford as a 'dream' and is eager to explore its possibility.

"So it’s from Baleba’s side that they are trying to understand if United can return for the boy or not," Romano told hisYouTube channel.

"After the Ederson deal off, and all the other developments, from Baleba’s side, they want to understand if there is a chance to reopen conversations and negotiations with United.

"We know United are looking for a third midfielder, they want to make something happen for another defensive midfielder.

"We need to understand now if there is going to be a possibility for Baleba – or any other option, because United are checking on the market – which possibilities can become concrete this summer.

"Baleba is a name that was already high on the recruitment team’s list one year ago. The player is super keen about United, now it depends on the club [and] whether they want to proceed or not."

Manchester United were quoted around £100m to sign Baleba last summer. It remains unclear how last season's drop-off in performance has impacted Brighton's valuation.