Man Utd affects my mindset! Carlos Baleba, Brighton's midfielder, opens up after transfer rumors linking him to Manchester United last summer.
On 21 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Carlos Baleba, Brighton & Hove Albion's midfielder, told Sky Sports frankly that he felt more pressure after being linked with Manchester United during last summer's transfer window.
Back during that transfer window, reports said the "Red Devils" inquired about signing the 22-year-old midfielder. However, Brighton set his price as high as £100 million, preventing any deal, and Baleba remained with his club.
However, his early 2025-26 season form was not as impressive as the previous season, which he acknowledged was partly due to the pressure.
"I felt a lot of pressure from the start of the season. I wanted to perform as well as I did last season. I trained hard every day to get back to that level. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Yes, I think that. But I see it as a positive because being under pressure pushes me to get up and keep working."
"Now I feel more at ease. I don’t pay much attention to outside voices. I rarely read news on various websites. I focus only on myself and my teammates."
"I need to improve every aspect of my game. My strength is my eagerness to enjoy football because when I’m on the field, I play with real determination. I want to do everything right and make the best decisions."