Who is Carlos Baleba? Man Utd's next Paul Pogba

Stuart Telford

• 11 Mar 2023 12:17 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been scouting Lille's Cameroonian starlet Carlos Baleba, who says he grew up idolising Paul Pogba.

Baleba only joined les Dogues from the Brasseries du Cameroun academy last January, but the 19-year-old has quickly won Lille manager Paulo Fonseca's trust, starting three Ligue 1 games since the turn of the year.

With Pogba long gone, Christian Eriksen injured and Marcel Sabitzer only on loan from Bayern Munich, Man Utd are in the market for a midfield partner for Casemiro, meanwhile, and Baleba could fit the bill.

READ: Frenkie de Jong reveals why he rejected Man Utd

United could face fierce competition for Baleba's signature. FootballTransfers takes a look as to why.

What position does Baleba play?

Baleba is a central midfielder who likes to take the ball off the toe of a defender before progressing play with either a dribble, pass, or both. Like Pogba, he can occupy more than one midfield position, playing a box-to-box role or sitting on the edge of either area.

How good is Baleba?

That midfield versatility might be borne of the fact that Baleba grew up admiring a wide array of midfield masters.

"I had a lot of idols that I watched on TV, especially in the midfield position," he told Lille's official website.

READ: Graeme Souness was right about Paul Pogba

"Paul Pogba in one, Kevin De Bruyne in two and Thiago Alcantara in three. I watched them, I tried to reproduce what they were doing. I never had a dream other than football."

Baleba was promoted to first-team training buy Fonseca last summer, and his combination of stamina, dribbling and distribution quickly caught the Portuguese tactician's eye.

Baleba is also left-footed, meaning he could add balance to the Man Utd midfield.

What clubs are interested in Baleba?

As well as Man Utd, Baleba has also reportedly attracted the attention of their Premier League rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle.

Scouts from AC Milan, Juventus, Monaco and Nice have also been spotted at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy this season.

When does Baleba's contract expire?

Baleba only joined Lille last year as one for the future, and was handed a first professional contract in July that runs until June 2026.

How old is Baleba?

Born on 3 January 2004, Baleba is 19 at the time of writing.