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The United Stand

19 Aug 2026 · 1h 4m · 20 chapters

Episode artwork

Baleba TRANSFER Close! Ornstein BOMBA!

In short

Manchester United transfer news and fan reaction to signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton, including price, timing, fit for the squad, and whether it’s a “panic buy.” The host argues the deal is risky and overpriced, but says United must back the player if he signs.

Guests

None. The episode is a solo commentary/interactive live-chat format by Mark Goldbridge (with audience comments).

Guest backgrounds

Not applicable.

Key claims

  • Fee discussed as about £60m + £5m add-ons (with later talk it may rise above £70m).
  • Host valuation claim: Baleba is closer to £50m; last season was poor (benched/hooked; James Milner reportedly benching him).
  • Signing in the last two weeks is framed as panic buying/desperation.
  • Red flags include mentality concerns after failing to secure a move and possible injury/fitness delay (expected return end of September per reports).
  • If it works, it could be a high-upside “prospect” strategy; if not, it could sink multiple decision-makers.

Notable examples

  • Comparisons to past United signings that looked good early but failed later (e.g., Lukaku, Matic, Fellaini).
  • Mentions of other midfield targets (Kone, Tillemans, Santos, Mason Mount, Mainoo) and alternative options (Tonali, Fernandes, Tonali/Scott/Enzo links).

Written by AI. May contain mistakes.

Chapters

1:55

Analyzing the Balaba Transfer

Discussion on the implications of Carlos Balaba's transfer to Manchester United.

“Because Manchester United have moved very, very quickly on this deal.”
4:06

Assessing Balaba's Value and Risk

Examination of Balaba's performance and the risks involved in his signing.

“Man United offered 60 million plus five, which is below Brighton's valuation.”
5:50

Comparing Midfield Options

Comparison of Balaba with other midfield targets and the overall strategy.

“We're going to get, well, technically Tillemans, Santos, Balaba.”
7:46

Concerns Over Panic Buying

Discussing the implications of panic buying in the transfer market.

“He's getting hooked after 60 minutes when he starts or he's sitting on the bench.”
9:58

The Hot-O-Meter and Transfer Speculation

Reflections on the transfer speculation surrounding Balaba and other players.

“I think what they've done is they've gone well we wanted Belaba last summer and we all agreed on that let's go for Belaba then Let's see what we can do with Brighton.”
14:03

Initial Reactions to the Transfer

The hosts discuss the unexpected signing of Balaba and the implications for the team.

“Ineos have put it out there that they don't want to panic buy.”
15:46

Concerns Over the Transfer Strategy

Discussion on whether the late signing indicates panic buying and the risks involved.

“in the last two weeks of the window to sign your number one target that you weren't actually talking to last week is panicky.”
18:08

Fan Sentiment and Expectations

Analyzing fan reactions to the transfer and the expectations for Balaba's performance.

“Sorry, somebody in the chat just called me vile for having an opinion.”
21:01

Evaluating Player Potential and Market Value

Discussing the perceived value of Balaba and the implications of overpaying for players.

“I firmly believe when a player is signed, you've got to hope it's going to work.”
26:05

Final Thoughts on the Transfer Situation

Wrapping up discussions on the transfer window, uncertainties, and comparisons to other potential signings.

“Well, look, in my opinion, you can't pay£48 million for a Chelsea bench player no matter how good they are.”
Show all 20 chapters
28:00

Discussion on Belaba's Value and Transfer Concerns

The hosts analyze the potential overpayment for Belaba and express doubts about the club's transfer strategy.

“It's like getting together with the casual hookup because it's easy, says Lone Ranger.”
32:40

Concerns About Player Mentality and Future Transfers

Discussion continues on the implications of Belaba's signing, player mentality, and past transfer decisions.

“But again, it's a little bit like the start to our season.”
42:01

Injury Concerns and Transfer Predictions

Discussion on injury records and predictions regarding Balaba's transfer.

“And look, I know it's not going to be popular, but if he can return to his best profile, suits exactly what we need in terms of athleticism.”
45:45

Fan Reactions and Transfer Strategies

Analyzing fan reactions to transfers and discussing the club's strategy.

“This is the show for the reality TV obsessed.”
54:55

The Need for Experienced Players

Debate on whether the team needs experienced players instead of prospects.

“Yes, Glenn, his defensive, successful defensive actions, he does score well.”
56:00

Discussion on Santos and Balaba's Potential

Explore the implications of signing two prospects and their impact on the team.

“Or did we need two players who can hit the ground and one prospect?”
58:14

Evaluating the Price of Balaba

Debate the appropriateness of Balaba's transfer fee in context of performance.

“And I said last night, the indication was we weren't going to do anything until after Hall.”
1:00:28

Concerns About Balaba's Performance

Consider worries about Balaba's previous season and his fit within the team.

“If, look, let me say this about the price, because I think I got caught out by this as well, Shane.”
1:02:40

Community Reactions to Balaba's Signing

Discuss fan reactions and differing opinions on Balaba's transfer.

“My only hope is Kudos wasn't allowed to leave West Ham and had a poor season.”
1:04:52

Final Thoughts on Balaba and the Season Ahead

Reflect on the implications of Balaba's signing for Manchester United's future.

“Because that's just what I believe, right?”
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Transcript

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1:36Hello everybody, welcome to the United Stands. I'm Mark Goldbridge. This is your latest Manchester United transfer news. Stick to United with Rooney yesterday was a big day. Well, it's a big day for Manchester United today. David Ornstein, Bomba, Carlos Balaba, Manchester United. Here we go. Won't be too far away. What are your thoughts? Are you happy with Balaba? Because Manchester United have moved very, very quickly on this deal. It's£60 million plus£5 million in add-ons. Amicable conversations going on between all parties now. I mean, Balaber would swim up the M6 to Manchester. We know that.

2:16But look, there's a lot to unpack there. Look, before I get into what my thoughts are, and they haven't changed. I think a year ago, he looked like an exciting signing. This summer, he looks like a huge risk. The facts are he couldn't get near the Brighton team last year. The facts are he played really bad last year. The facts are we are actually technically overpaying. He's not a£60 million player. not if you saw him last season, but you've got to back new signings. I have to, you know, I never wanted Lukaku. I never wanted Matic. I never wanted Fellaini. But when they put that Man United shirt on, there's really not much point in like moaning about it.

2:57You've got to hope that the miracle happens and it is a huge risk. And, but look, I look at where we were last year and I agree. I mean, I think that there is a player there. But it's a prospect. It's a work in progress. I don't think you drop him in. I mean, look, Santos and Balaba are both prospects. You can literally was talking about this last night. Rightly or wrongly, Faval's won. Faval has won. He's obsessed with prospects. A lot of us like that. But it's not always about prospects, is it? Kone, Faval didn't want. He wanted somebody who he could build into something. And I think Sir Jim Radcliffe likes that because if Balaba comes in at 22, does really well and United aren't doing well, you're selling for£100 million in three years.

3:50So we're clearly going down a road here. Tillemans gives us a bit of experience. Santos and Balaba are prospects that could and hopefully will become really good players. But this is the update out of nowhere, really. Bomba, Man United closing in on deal to sign Carlos Balaba from Brighton. Man United offered 60 million plus five, which is below Brighton's valuation. But amicable talks continue as all parties. Well, oh, sorry, I thought we'd agreed 60 plus five. So it's below what Brighton want, but talks continue amicably. This is David Ornstein in The Athletic. it's 50-50 in the chat. Are you happy with Balaba?

4:34Happy, 50%. Not happy, 50%. Look, I think, in fairness, there's two things I have to say here. And this is not me backing down. I'll go through. I think when someone's going to be a Man United player, it's very different to whether they should be a Man United player. So look, if he's going to be a Man United player, I firmly believe we have to back him and hope he does well. And also, I think the other thing I would say is that it's the last two weeks of the window. It's not our fault as fans, but we're literally in the panic area now. If you'd said to me in May, it's going to be Baleba, Tillemans and Santos, I'd have gone.

5:22That's a little bit underwhelming, really. That's a little bit underwhelming. So our star signing, I mean, look, let's go back here for a minute. Remember at the start of the summer, we had top tier midfielder, mid tier midfielder and lower tier midfielder. So we were thinking maybe Ederson, Mateus, Fernandes, Chiumini or Santos, Tonali, Anderson. We're thinking stuff like that. I wasn't thinking Santos, Tillemans, Balaba. But that's price wise what we're going to get. We're going to get, well, technically Tillemans, Santos, Balaba. But Balaba's coming in as our number one signing, which is our most expensive signing.

6:02And also, does he not throw our summer plans into disarray a little bit? Because if you're spending£65 million,£70 million,£60 million, whatever it's going to be on Balaba, does he not have to start now? Are we not benching Santos for Balaba now? I mean, you can't really spend£65 million on a player and sit him on the bench. So I don't actually know what the plan is here with Balaba, because I sort of thought it would be Santos and Tillemans or Mainu, but I think he's got to go straight into the team now. So look, in a way, it's exciting, but I can't deny there is an element of concern. concern as I said if you watch the channel I think a lot of people thought oh he's gonna go mad if you've watched the channel over the years once they're gonna be a player I'm a firm believer that you have to back them and hope it's gonna work um you know I didn't really think we should go with Carrick but now he's here I want I want Carrick to do well but this is a this is an interesting one this is a very interesting one um but what I would say is we didn't put ourselves in this position as fans.

7:15I think with two weeks to go in the window, we have panicked. We are now doing something that apparently we weren't going to do. We don't want to overpay for players. I'm going to be very, very clear because I said this in April, May, June, July, and last week. If you want the honest valuation of Belaber, it's 50 million. He's not, he's not, why is he worth more than 50 million pounds? Like Santos had a better season than him last year. Yes, he had a very good season, the year before, but last season he's getting benched by James Milner. He's getting hooked after 60 minutes when he starts or he's sitting on the bench.

7:51He had a crap season, really bad. That's a fact. He had a crap season. There is a player there. There is a prospect there. There's a lot of work to do, but there is a player there, but he's not 60, 65 million pounds. I mean, all right, you might not want to pay 80 for Scott and you might not want to pay 85 for Mateus Fernandes, but they're starters for Bournemouth and West Ham. This is a player that had a really bad season and you're going to give Brighton 65 million quid for him. That's overpaying. That's desperation. That's panic. So it better bloody work because I tell you what, this signing, I don't think this signing is going to get so much scrutiny.

8:29It's unbelievable. Like it's literally make or break. This deal has to work. If it doesn't work, I think it sinks Carrick, Ineos, Favell, the Glazers. I think this deal is our biggest deal of the summer. It's got huge risk. It's in the last two weeks of the window. And if they get this wrong, it's in 4K. Because there's no way that Balaba was our target going into the summer. Because he's desperate to come to Manchester United. If Balaba was our number one target, I'm interested to see how Man United and Wilcox are going to paint this picture when he signed because we literally could have signed him on May the 1st.

9:10We could have signed him in June, July, and we're signing him in the last two weeks because we're desperate. We're panicking. And we've gone and gone for a player that last year we wanted, but this year we didn't. He wasn't even in the top five of our list. So look, I'm not surprised by it. Let's hope it's going to work out. We wanted him last summer, which means some people in the board like him. we weren't anywhere near him all summer because of last season and now with two weeks to go we've decided to go back in this fits in exactly with what I was saying last night with Kone you've got a couple of people on the board who want him with Tyler Adams you've probably got someone on the board who wants him same with Sander Berg same with Alex Scott you've got all these midfielders but nobody can agree I think what they've done is they've gone well we wanted Belaba last summer and we all agreed on that let's go for Belaba then Let's see what we can do with Brighton.

10:05And Brighton have probably said, I mean, why have Brighton dropped their fee from 80 to 60, by the way? Why have Brighton dropped their price by 25 % in a year for a 22 year old? I mean, do we want to talk about that or should we leave that? Why are Brighton happy to take 60 for a player that they wanted north of 80 for 12 months ago? So there is a lot of risk, a lot of risk. But I'd still say, one, when he signs for Man United, we've got to hope it works out. And two, I mean, there's people talking about Mason Mount as a midfielder. I'd take Belaber every day of the week. so. Would you have took Kone over Belaba?

10:50Yes. I think Kone goes straight into that midfield for a cheaper price and improves us straight away. I think Belaba goes into that midfield and is more of a risk. But there could be more of an upside. There could be. Look, I really hope he's going to be the player he was 18 months ago and not the player he was six months ago. But this is a huge decision by the club. It's absolutely huge. And, you know, I'm actually quite encouraged that there is some optimism around it because I think we have to be optimistic. It has to work. Like, Carrick's going to get three midfielders. I think that's absolutely essential.

11:44And, you know, if we could follow this up with Lewis Hall, you know, that makes it even better. But we needed three midfielders. We're going to get three midfielders. Is it the three midfielders I think we needed? No. Is it the worst set of midfielders in the world? No. You have got a bit of balance now. Santos and Balaba are a little bit more defensive. Tilleman's a little bit more offensive. It means we don't have to use Mason Mount. but it is a little bit like buying a lottery ticket, that midfield. It's, you know, we could win the league. We could be mid-table. It could go one of two ways.

12:20Like, I think there's a huge amount of work with Belaber. Look, honestly, I can't hide from what I've said. My assessment of Belaber a year ago was, if it's the midfielder we want, spend£80 million on him, and we walked away. He then has a season where every time I watched him, he was bad, like really bad. And if he started, he was being subbed after 60 minutes. And if he was on the bench, he wasn't making an impact. He had a really bad season. James Milner was benching him on the regular. It was a bad season. And you can make excuses for that. Of course you can. but you factually can't move away from the fact that he had a bad season after not getting a move to Manchester United.

13:08Now, some people can say, well, he's young and he was, you know, unsettled and he was unhappy, but we're meant to do the background checks. Rooney was literally saying this yesterday. We need to do the background checks on players' mentality. A player that when he doesn't get his move to Manchester United is crap all season, is that strong mentality? I certainly don't think Roy Keane would have reacted like that if he didn't get his move to Manchester United or Wayne Rooney or David Beckham. I think they'd double down and work harder. So there are definitely, look, I don't want to be negative about it because he's going to be a Man United player, but you do have to acknowledge that there are red flags.

13:45And one thing we're really good at is when we make signings, they're going to be the next big thing and we all focus on the positives and that's great. But you can't deny there are a few red flags with this deal. and you can't deny that United are panic buying in the last two weeks. I mean, Ineos have put it out there that they don't want to panic buy. We're spending£65 million in the last two weeks on a midfielder that we've not really been linked to for a year. His name's always been there and I want to shout out Matt, the producer, because I sacked him for the Hotometer. In fact, can we get the Hotometer?

14:22This should have come out sooner, right? so about three weeks ago I said to Matt our producer I want a hot-o-meter and I think it's been destroyed which is a shame actually it would have been hilarious if we had it so we did a hot-o-meter and he for a laugh or maybe you know genius did put Balaba as the top of the hot-o-meter which is now not there which is a real shame ah here it is 17th of July this is what our producer put up as the hot-o-meter on the 17th of July, Balaba and Kone. And I said, you're sacked. You're sacked for that. We're not signing Balaba. Well, look at that now. I should sack myself because he was right.

15:08Although it was between Kone and Balaba and the Kone stuff was true. It was just Faval who didn't want him and he's won out going for a prospect. But I think with regards to the last two weeks of the window, So like I said, it's a little bit panicky with two weeks to go to go and spend£65 million on a player that you've not been in talks with until the last couple of days. So we clearly have panicked and the message has been we're not going to overpay and we're not going to panic. We are overpaying and we are panicking like we are. in the last two weeks of the window to sign your number one target that you weren't actually talking to last week is panicky.

15:53And we are going to overpay because for me, he's not a£65 million player. He's more of a£50 million player. But if it works, it won't matter. And I choose positivity. I can't go down the road and I've never been down the road of when United sign a player I don't want hoping they flop. I can't do that. You know, if we went and signed, I'm trying to think of a player I really, really do not want Man United to sign. Belayba, no, joking. But, you know, it has to, I want to be wrong. I have to be wrong. I have to be wrong. I can't be right. I'm not the CEO. I'm not the director of football. I'm just a fan.

16:34I can't be right about this. I have to be wrong. Belayba has to work. Because if it doesn't work, what are we? This has to work. This has to work. Do you think it was the plan all along? I did a video a couple of nights ago where I said it wouldn't surprise me if the plan all along was Belaba, but they knew the fan base would react badly to it. So they waited until the last two weeks when we're desperate because people will be more open to it. If we'd signed Belaba for£65 million in June, I think people would have gone mad. If we'd signed him in July, I think people would have gone mad. So was the plan just to lower expectations so much that when you go for your target, the fan base are more open to it.

17:19But it's still 50-50. So maybe.

17:25Oh, my God. Apparently, he won't even be fit till the end of September. Oh, my God. I mean, I can't verify that. It's just come out from Simon Jones that is expected to be fit by the end of September. Surely that's a typo. End of August.

17:55So we've got a player that's got no preseason that won't be fit till the end of September. I thought it was going to be the end of August. to be honest with you. But yeah. Sorry, somebody in the chat just called me vile for having an opinion. Mate, I've said nothing bad apart from I don't want to sign Belayba. And that was before today. Now that we're signing him, I hope he does well. I think it's a massive risk and I've exposed the risks. That's not being vile, mate. That's just having a different opinion to you. You might want to grow up and get in the real world. Nothing abusive or bad has been said about Belayba this morning by me.

18:36I hope it works out. I think it's a massive risk. We did need another midfielder in. I think it's a panic buy. I think he's overpriced. I don't think he was very good last season. He's a prospect. I'd have rather brought somebody in that was in good form, who was ready to go. He's apparently not going to be fit till the end of September as well. So, I mean, the last thing I want is Agate reborn or Amrabat reborn, where you bring them in with no pre-season and they're always playing catch-up and there's a high expectation. But look, I think ultimately you do want the board to make decisions and expose themselves as competent or incompetent.

19:19As I said, we definitely did hold talks with Kone, maybe somebody else. But the resistance was always for Val. He wants prospects. He doesn't want ready to go players. So we've clearly pivoted towards Balaba at a bigger price. in the hope that he's going to be a better player and we can produce a better player. And look, in Michael Carrick, you've probably got one of the best teachers to be a Premier League midfielder. So let's not forget that. Whoever you bring in, whether it's Santos, Balaba as prospects, Thwaites coming through, the Fletchers, they do have Michael Carrick as a teacher.

19:59And that is a positive. But look, I'm hopeful.

20:08I'm a little bit underwhelmed. I think that's what I would say. We could have had a summer of Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Cimini, Elliot Anderson, Alex Scott, Enmica. I mean, I'd rather, I don't know why we've not gone to Dortmund and given them the£65 million for Enmica. I'd much rather that. I really would. But we're not, we're clearly not going to buy the players that I think we should buy. And maybe you should think we should buy. But maybe they're going to be right. these three players would not have been my picks, but I do like Tillemans. Santos has done quite well in pre-season and Balaba was quite good 18 months ago.

20:50So look, hopefully the club get it right. But it's just a little bit underwhelming. That's what I would say, but hopefully it's going to work. I firmly believe when a player is signed, you've got to hope it's going to work. I really didn't want Lukaku from Everton. You can go and check the videos there. I was concerned about Van der Beek. Not Donny Van der Beek. I'm trying to think who else I was concerned about.

21:22Agate concerned me bringing him so late. I liked the idea of it, but it did concern me. So, yeah. And we might not, as Callum says, we might not see him until after the international break. Korshik says, signing a player without an expected return date from injury during the end of the transfer window is the definition of a panic buy. Top five finish, not sure. Look, it doesn't mean it won't work, Korshik. But why would you get concerned about the truth? There are multiple red flags. There are multiple concerns. And it's absolutely a panic buy. Like, it's got all the ingredients of it. It's the last two weeks of the window.

22:07it's overpriced and he's injured. There are no ingredients more needed. Like it's the definition of panic. We've not been in talks with him until today, publicly. We're overpaying by about 10 million and he's injured. So of course it's got the ingredients of being a panic buy. We can't argue amongst ourselves that this is strategic and well thought out. Of course, it's a panic buy, but we're just going to have to hope it works. Of course we are. Very good show with Wayne. Proud of you, mate, says BJ. Thank you very much, pal. Thanks for your super chat. Now that we will have four centre midfielders who can progress the ball and run like dogs, our whole identity changes and our light back four can benefit from the protection, says Leo.

22:55Well, Tillemans and Maynou don't run like dogs, mate. and you've seen next to nothing of Belaber and Santos. So I hope you're going to be right, but it's a huge punt. It really is.

23:11On paper, we have more balance. Will they be good enough? Let's see, says Max. This will be all or nothing unless we get a left back, says Max. Max, sorry, Max Jan says, brilliant news. Now we can sell Pedro Neto and Enzo and easily get Warton and Scott. But yeah, you know what? I mean, I probably shouldn't say this, but I actually got told last night that the plan from Chelsea is to sell Enzo Fernandes and buy Alex Scott, which pisses me off because Spurs get Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Elliot Anderson goes to Man City and Alex Scott goes to Chelsea. All midfielders I would love us to have signed and we end up with three players that I hope work out, but wouldn't have been on my list if I'm being completely honest.

24:00And I don't dislike Tillemans. I like Tillemans. And I don't dislike what I've seen of Santos. I just think it's a bit underwhelming. And I really didn't want Belaber, but we're just going to have to hope it works. Signing a player without an expected, done that from Korshik. We won't see him until after the international breaks, says Callum. May God bless you and keep up the good work. I'm waiting for Mark versus Gary, says Saint in disguise. Back your new signing chat, says Fernand. When you think about it, The transfer news made him have a bad season. He might be mentally fragile and he's going to face hard challenges at Man United, says David.

24:32Well, I think that's one to maybe revisit, David. I certainly think he didn't show strong mentality last season to react to not getting his move in a way where he went shit. It's funny, isn't it? We were talking to Wayne yesterday, Wayne Rooney on Stick to United, and he was saying about Lewis Hall. He might look like a good player, but is he a Man United player? and being a Man United player is different to anything else. So let's hope Man United have done their background checks because I don't think Balaba filled himself with, I mean, it was one of the big red flags for me was just how crap he was last year in response to not getting a move to United.

25:09And that worries me because you need to have a strong mentality. You can't just down tools because you don't get what you want. So that's something that's going to definitely get scrutinised, David. Has he got the mentality to be a Man United player? Because he didn't show it last season, did he? But look, he's still young. And maybe there was other reasons for that. Shane says, this club is a joke. I'd rather Carrick come out of retirement. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think Belaber is good enough. Nectario says, I just got here and this is absolute fuckery. How did we not spend an extra 20, 25 million?

25:43That's one additional 20 million instalment to get Fernandes. Sean Turner says, so Edison fails a medical, but Labour can't even do a medical and we're still going to sign him. It's a joke, says Sean. Enough, let's rid our fan base of the Glynios lovers. They're just as complicit in enabling this regime, says Once. They buy average players for overpriced fees as they won't spend more to get top quality and in the end, United pay the cost in quality and cost, says Quinstar. Well, look, in my opinion, you can't pay£48 million for a Chelsea bench player no matter how good they are. And we did that with Santos.

26:15So we overpaid by about 10. and you can't pay£65 million for Belayba on the season he's just had. You've overpaid by about£15 million. So technically we've overspent by£25 on two players. Now let's hope they work out, but I do think we've overpaid. How does he pass his medical, says Dan? Apparently it doesn't matter. Dayan says he's better than nothing. I would agree. Yet we wouldn't buy Edison for less because of injury concerns. This board is not serious, says Patrick. Dee says not necessarily overpaying. We've been saying how every player has an extra 20 million on their price this window. If he's worth 50, it's an extra 15.

26:50Good point, D. Came out last month. He would be out for two months, says Kenzo. Glaze has made our standards reach a new rock bottom, says Vagabond. I suppose the real question here, do these three midfielders improve us or not? I believe this board have panicked, but Belaber, I despair, says Ray. JMR says, you say it's overspending, but as you kept saying all summer, this is the market. We can't say Belaber is overpaying, then saying Fernandez isn't. you've sort of made a bit of a twat of yourself, JMR, there. If you think about it, I know what you're trying to say, but if you think about it, you're trying to deflect onto me, but you've not realised what you've said.

27:25I'm saying the Labour's overpaying at£65 million, and I'll say it again. When everyone said Mateus Fernandes was overpaying at£85, well, we're both right. The Labour is overpriced. We are paying£15 to£20 million more than he's worth. So why did we not justify that for Mateus Fernandes, who was plan A? That's exactly my point. If we're willing to overpay on Belayba, who's like plan F, but we put it out there that we won't overpay on Mateus Fernandes, who was plan A, that's my whole point. We're willing to overpay for Belayba, but we wouldn't overpay for Mateus Fernandes. It's contradictory, isn't it?

28:04It's panic. It's like getting together with the casual hookup because it's easy, says Lone Ranger. Rather have Edison for 45 Than Belaber for 65 Says Bragg Can't believe fans are happy With this Says Rutvik Jim says You said he's worth 50 Using your inflated market Yeah You're all going over old ground But you're not actually getting What I'm saying am I We walked away from Mateus Fernandes Because we said he was 20 million overpriced And now we're going to pay 15 million more Than what Belaber's worth that's my point we won't overpay but we are overpaying so why didn't we overpay on the player that we wanted we don't hope he flops we just know he will says Zach how does he pass the medical says John Highmark well Tillemans was injured when we signed him as well what to say Highmark what to say the player is already being written off by most of us it's insane how someone can from the board be so clueless says Vinay look I'm not writing him off I'm not doing that I have massive concerns I wouldn't have done the deal but you know that United family loyalty will always kick in when somebody holds the shirt up and I hope he does well but I wouldn't have done this deal and I hope it works out and I hope I'm wrong you know if he scores and plays well for Man United I'll be there giving him an 8 out of 10 and man of the match I've got no problem with that I don't do I told you so I want Man United to win and I want to be wrong and if we've got competence on the board that can do things that as me immortals wouldn't do and it works out, fair play.

29:38That's what you're meant to be, best in class. But if this doesn't work, I think it's got to be curtains on many careers at Man United because it's almost like a desperate last throw of the dice in a transfer window that's been pathetic. And if this was the plan, why didn't we do it two months ago when he was fit? This club has had its pants pulled down again. I don't see us getting anywhere near top four with two games a week. We will be mid-table at best, says Average. But Labour's coming back from an ankle injury as well. So he won't be ready for the start of the season, Emily, no. Simon Jones has said that he will be back back end of September.

30:21He's working back from fitness after an ankle ligament injury, but the issue is not considered serious or expected to keep him out long term. That's coming from Ben Jacobs. That's coming from David Ornstein.

30:41So, look, to be fair, end of September, we are nearly at the end of August. So I wouldn't expect him to be back for the Manchester derby, which is like three weeks time. But, you know.

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32:40The hope is that he'll be back sooner rather than later

32:51Somebody just said that there was a here we go on this But

32:59do you think that's the end of Louis Skelly I don't think Louis Skelly was ever coming to United to be honest Balaba reminds me of Di Maria as reality speaks different one of the best players at Real Madrid comes to United and loses form because he doesn't want to be here goes to PSG and lights it up no no I think let's be fair Balaba definitely wants to be at Man United God can't remember the Instagram post when he was playing against us at Old Trafford he is desperate to be at Man United and I'm sure he will come in and work hard. But again, it's a little bit like the start to our season. I'm not worried about Belaber in the first few weeks.

33:33It'd be like a kid in a sweet shop. He'll work really hard. It's being a Man United player six months in when things start to go wrong, isn't it? That's when, you know. If you think about Mourinho's first summer, Bayi and Mkhitaryan and Zlatan and Pogba looked like very good signings in the first seven months. It was the second year. Look to the Greek market. A pipeline of new talents, says Andreas. I feel like this is going to be a Garte and Sancho problem together later on. Hopefully not, though, says Ultra. Let's go. I'm a Baleba, says Furnham. Is it related, Mark? Favell didn't agree with Kone, then Sesco, and later Favell himself rumoured to be going to Munich.

34:13Then they decided to go on Baleba, says BFE. Look, this has got Favell's fingerprints all over it. He wasn't sold on Kone because he wanted a prospect and we've signed a prospect. So Favell has been listened to, in my opinion. Now, that's not a bad thing. That's not a bad thing. But it's got to work. Look, it's got to work. He is our marquee signing of the summer. Carlos Beléber is Man Utd's marquee signing of the summer. I'm not saying anything else, but he is because he's going to be the most expensive signing. So it has to work. I personally think the interest from him has partly impacted his form at Brighton, says Jamie.

35:01Yeah, but that's the bad thing, isn't it? Where's your mentality if you're playing shit because you didn't get your move? That's a red flag, isn't it? Why get Hall when I have Shiberto Carlos, says Jason Wilcox. Signing good prospect players is a complete ignorance by this ownership. Fed up with United transfers in the past and present, says Mr. Acro. Never really watched Balaba. What makes him so special for United? Does he hit the data? Says Rat King revived. I would imagine the data does back up a Balaba signing because I'll tell you for free, the TikTok hipsters will be knocking one out big time.

35:33He does, statistically, data do quite well. He does. I'm not going to lie about that. But on the eye test, make your own mind up. Mark, congratulations. I feel this was the plan all along. feel like we made a deal in the summer and now we can't go back on it. What are your thoughts? I certainly think announcing Balaba with two weeks to go is going to go down a little bit better than announcing it two months ago. So they maybe did sit on it till the end of the window. But that would be so stupid, wouldn't it? Because he goes and gets injured in pre-season with Brighton. If he'd have been at United, maybe he doesn't get injured.

36:11So if you're going to do something, have the courage of your conviction to do it. I mean, that's my point. Why are we signing our marquee signing injured in the last two weeks of the window? If he was the marquee signing, why didn't we go for him in May and get it done? Fred was a better player than this bum, says Zake. Belaber is Fred, Santos is van der Beek, and Tillemans, our injury-prone marquee signing, is Matic, with Oli's right hand as manager, says Andreas. Belaber deal is about the wage, not the fee. Yeah, he will be on cheap wages. Reality speaks different. He will be, yeah. Three weeks ago, a message and said we need Belaber.

36:43Watch what he does, says Skin. Well, we'll all be watching. We don't overpay for Bruno, overpay for Balaba, says... Sorry, we won't overpay for Mateus Fernandes, but we will overpay for Balaba, says Eric. What's this about Xavi from Barca? Not happening, Nick. How are we going for Balaba with Stilla available, says the only and ever. Well, they do like Premier League proven, don't they? And all our midfielders have played in the Premier League. You know, you think about Stilla, Kone, Edison and Meecha, Cermini, Camavinga, all these players that were available outside of the Premier League and we've signed three Premier League midfielders.

37:21And they have, in fairness to the club, they have set their stall out that that's what they want to do. They want Premier League proven players and they have gone and bought three Premier League midfielders. So they hold off from buying anyone for a month until the fans are unanimously begging for signings that we have to accept. Balaba says Eman. I'm furious. This is a complete and utter panic buy, says Zach. was signing a man who was begging on his knees to sign for his 65 million for a donkey, prepare yourselves for a mid-table finish. Well, again, I mean, Zach, I'm not defending the club, but they said they want Premier League proven players.

37:54He is Premier League proven. And they said they want players that are desperate to sign for Man United. And you couldn't be more desperate. Like you say, he's desperate to sign. So in a way, they're doing exactly what they said they would do. I'll back any player we sign and give them a chance as John. But wow, is this what the sporting team has been doing all summer. How does this raise our floor? Thank you, John. Our last three managers are all prospects. Good coaches with the potential to be great. It makes sense. Our transfer strategy is the same. We are RB Leipzig now. Whoa, hey, I said that three months ago.

38:27I said that three months ago. I'm glad you've said that, Azur. We are, I think we're Everton sometimes, but in a European sense, we are RB Leipzig. And we have a guy that worked RB Leipzig. You're absolutely spot on. The players that we sign are very RB Leipzig. You buy them as prospects and you try and flip them into decent players that you can sell for a profit. Now, hopefully we won't end up selling these players, but we definitely are looking at prospects. I mean, you look at the lad from Spurs, Thompson. You look at the guy we're trying to get in from Leicester, Page, Obi, Kone. And Balaba and Santos combined£100 million, by the way.

39:16I mean, how do you feel about that? We have spent£100 million on midfielders. Their name is Santos and Balaba. So we've spent the£100 million, but we've spent it on Santos and Balaba. So our total net spend of midfielders is going to be£150 million.

39:35Tillemans is the A signing based on wages, says Ed. Tried to bring the price down. Brighton don't budge, says Jason. Le Mans lover thank you very much for joining the members club this is a bit like a pointing character for me not the person I wanted not the experience I wanted and there were better options but if he puts it on the shirt I will back him absolutely that's exactly where I am Emily I think a lot of people thought oh I want to see what Goldbridge says is going to melt down I've said what I said and I stand by it but when somebody actually signs I think you've got to back them that's just my stance and hopefully it works out but I'm not changing anything I've said in the past.

40:12I'm very concerned about this and I think there's a lot of red flags. I'd rather get Kone, says Mark Kennedy. This signing doesn't excite me. We're going to buy prospects then I'm assuming the players' wage will be on low just in case if we have to sell them because we're slow to buy and sell, says Wilbert. Do you think Baleba's form last year was a reflection on the fact he didn't get the move? I rate this signing a five out of ten. Could go either way, says Glenn. Yeah, yeah. I think he did play badly last season because he didn't get the move. but what sort of mentality is that? Is that not a red flag?

40:43Elliot Anderson, many of you wanted. He looks mid so far. He's played one pre-season game, Sully. Let's back Belaber. He wants to join and fight for our club. Brilliant signing. Okay. An injury to Santos and we're still vulnerable, says GMAC. 24th of February, 24. So Jim said about marginal gains to be 1 % better. Monday, if players can improve the squad significantly rather than marginally, we'd look to do the deal, but we won't overpay. Yeah, he's a hypocrite, mate. That's it. Yeah, you could write a book on contradictions that come out of Ineos and then they change their mind. I hate this ownership.

41:18Why are they going near him? Says Dale. I don't know how good Belaber will be, says Patrick. This tells me the board are bad at transfers. This has been 12 months in the making. No top board should have to take that long to make a deal. Quick deals only done with release clauses. Thank you, Patrick. Great show, Mark. I felt we were always going to sign Belaber. You're right. It is a risk, but we will do what we always do and back the players. at least we will have some energy and legs in the midfield. Thank you, Mark Hardy. He's young and will improve, says Ricky. He's a good six that will provide legs for Manu and Tillemans.

41:47Thank you, Ricky. Bread, welcome to the members club. And at least we know we are willing to send 60 million plus. What a joke of the board. It's sickening what is happening, says Logan. The labour of a year ago is the perfect signing for us, says Damien. And look, I know it's not going to be popular, but if he can return to his best profile, suits exactly what we need in terms of athleticism. Thank you very much. Has anyone looked at his injury record? No. No. And I think unless you're Mason Mount or Phil Jones, I think injury records are very different. You know, he's also very young as well.

42:21I mean, look, I would always use Dembele as a word of caution. When we got linked to him a few years ago, it was like Dembelins don't go anywhere near him, breadstick, hamstrings. And that was just me talking. And then he goes and wins the Ballon d 'Or. So I think you've got to be very careful about looking at injury, players of injuries in the past. That's what medicals are for, really. Most, if not some of us knew all along, it would be belabor. Let's pray last season was a hoax and give everything this season. You know what? I don't think anybody will find it, Tom. I don't think anybody will be able to find it.

42:52But if you did find it, it would be a brilliant clip. It happened. I think it happened on one of the videos in the last week of January, maybe the last two weeks of January. I remember saying it. You'll never find it because it could have been the first week of February. But I remember doing a video in end of January, early February, and nobody would listen. And I said something like, I've heard or I guarantee Carrick gets the Man United job and will sign Balaba in the summer. And I remember saying it as clear as day. I remember saying it. And a load of people in the chat were going, we won't fucking give Carrick the job.

43:32We're not going to do that. Stop being so negative. and Belaber's been shit, we wouldn't be stupid enough to go back there. Carrick is Man United's manager and Belaber is our marquee signing. What does that mean? Well, it's the ramblings of an idiot who ended up being right. But it's also being able to read this board like a book. They don't do innovative, ambitious things. They do easy, obvious things. And I think that when you start to figure that out, you can start to second guess what we're going to do. We won't sign Lewis Hall. We'll sign some cheap understudy to Luke Shaw that if Luke Shaw gets injured, they'll get thrown into the deep end and their career will be destroyed by an impatient fan base.

44:22So, yeah. What about Kone, Mark? Um, we, we, um...

44:55Everyone else wanted it to. Meanwhile, on eBay Live, you don't just watch the action. You're in it. Download the eBay app to watch live, shop live. eBay Live. Things people love. Let's be honest. If you have a cat, you've probably wondered what your house smells like before guests walk in. Thankfully, Arm & Hammer Cat Litter helps take that worry off your plate. Because not all litters are the same. Arm & Hammer Hardball Cat Litter gives you long-lasting odor control, plus strong clumps that make scooping quick and easy with low dust, too. It's a five-in-one litter made for busy people, helping your home stay fresher every day so you can feel confident opening the door for family and friends.

45:33Candles? Air fresheners? Not needed here. Odor control is Arm & Hammer Cat Litter's job, not yours. Be guest ready with Arm & Hammer Hardball Cat Litter. Find it now at Walmart or Amazon. There's a headline every 30 minutes for our show, I'm pretty sure. Welcome to Get Real. I'm your host, Amanda Hirsch. This is the show for the reality TV obsessed. You thought the show was crazy. Living it was crazy. I was dripping sweat before I even started. For the stars and fans of the Hulu reality verse. Do we think she's stirring the pot to secure a place on the show? Find and listen to Get Real wherever you get your podcasts.

46:09And stream new episodes Thursdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Terms apply.

46:18We won't sign Kone now. We did 100 % hold talks with Kone. but as I said to you all along there was resistance from somebody on the board and that board resistance was always rumoured to be Favell and much the same as not signing Olly Watkins and going with Sesco last summer Favell has been listened to so we've gone the story around Kone was that Wilcox and Barada liked him and Carrick was on board but Favell didn't want to do the deal because he wanted to go for a prospect. Well, we've signed a prospect who is also Premier League proven. So look, as I said, this deal has to work. Otherwise, it will bite the club on the arse because there is an element of risk that everybody can see it.

47:09I mean, look, it's very rare. It's very, very rare. I mean, look, we've got how many people watching? We've got 22 ,000 people watching. There's a lot of interest in this transfer. And in fairness, are you happy with Belaber? Yes, 52%, no, 48%. So it's split in the fan base. It's very rare that you sign a player, a marquee signing, and your fan base before they're even here is split. Very, very rare. You've also got Marcus Rashford coming back. And if I said to you, do you want Rashford back? It would be 50-50 again. So there is a strangeness to Manchester United's summer that's out of everybody's control.

47:51It's nothing to do with us. We're not making the decisions. We're just imparting our opinion. You've got Rashford back that split the fan base. You've got Balaba coming in as the marquee signing that split the fan base. It is strange. I can't remember a summer like this where the board were making decisions that before a player's even kicked the ball, they're splitting the fan base. So huge risks being made. If Rashford does really well, and I hope he does, and Balaber does really well, I hope he does, that will go somewhere to restoring trust in a board that has lost trust. So these are big throws of the dice.

48:31These are things that have to work because if they don't work and what do you class as not working? I mean, I think working is being definitively, obviously brilliant. Not working might be being average. You know, is an average belabor a success? No. Is a bad belabor a success? No. So he's got to be good. He's got to be very good. These are big risks by a board at a time where you probably would have wanted to be signing players where the fan base are like 90 % on board. So they're not afraid to make risks. They're not afraid to take risks. But it is strange. I don't remember a summer like this where you're buying and bringing players in that are splitting the fan base.

49:22But, you know, there we go. Caleb says, we aren't signing Belaber. But I've said, mate, I've said that multiple times this summer. Absolutely. But I'm not the director of football. I'm not the CEO. And in relation to Belaba, well, I said, well, do you want to play another game? Yesterday, when Talk Sport, we're talking about Chumini and I said, we're not signing Chumini. As of tonight, we're not signing Chumini. We're not signing Chumini. And I was right. And when I said we're not signing Belaba, I didn't actually say we're not signing Belaba. where I said, as of now, we're not in talks with the Labour, but anything can happen in the last few weeks of the window.

49:59And lo and behold, something has happened. I would never, I wouldn't sit here now and say we're not signing Lewis Hall. I don't think we are, but anything can happen in the last two weeks of a window. We threw£130 million at Casemiro and Anthony in the last two weeks of a transfer window. So in a panic situation, you just don't know. You don't know. Do you think we will go back for Branthwaite next year? Has the board liked to go back for players, says Paris. Well, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. It seems to me if they like a player, they won't go. Romano update, Brighton rejected the initial offer.

50:38Yeah, well, it won't. This is the thing. It's not going to be 60 million, is it? I mean, I don't really want to talk about this today, but what I would say is

50:50don't necessarily think that we're getting in for 60 million. Man United are set to sign Belaber from Brighton as new midfielder, according to Romano. Official bid is over£70 million plus£6 million add-ons, as per David Ornstein. No club-to-club agreement yet. United to send a new bid, Belaber pushing since August 2025. So, over a year. Yeah, so, I mean, look, it's... The first offer was over 60 million and we still have to agree. So it's actually going to go north, isn't it? It's going to go up. Romano update. Thanks very much for that, Rad. Hi, Mark. In my opinion, Ineos sees Balaba as a left back too.

51:36I hope not, Brian. Who do you want me to sign next, says Jason. Oh, mate. Surprise me. Surprise me. How can people here defend Balaba's passing? Him and Alex Scott had around the amount of total passes last season. Scott had 60 passes versus Belaba's nine. Connie, you've just reminded me, by the way, in relation to Belaba, statistically, his defensive side of the game is really good. Average passes per 90 is below 35. Maynew and everybody else is up at 50. His average passes per 90 is crap. Really bad. He is not the sort of player that takes the ball off the back four and dictates the play unless Carrick teaches him how to do it.

52:18So yeah, he's not, he scores really low on that. Really low. I remember doing all the comparisons. He's really low on that. You did say all roads will lead to Belayba, says T. I didn't. I didn't. I think I need to shout out the legend of the chat, Keel Robinson. I haven't seen him in the chat today. He has religiously said all roads lead to Belayba from about, from birth. I think he's been saying it for 20 years, but he's definitely been saying it in this community. After years of failure, seeing the old competence return and a complete lack of belief in both the manager and players is heartbreaking.

52:52We're done, says Andreas. What happens to Maynou? Nothing. Balaba's not a Maynou player. He will be a six. I reckon we go for Kane and no left back. Balaba, cover there, says James. What, Harry Kane? Don't mind that. Ray Carl-Brown Amore says, I knew it was Balaba coming. Tilleman, Santos and Balaba are good enough for top five. Thank you, Ray. Yeah, I mean, yeah, we should get a top five now. I mean, one of the big problems was just, I think one of the big scares was actually having enough legs in the midfield if we get injuries. I mean, as long as Balaba's fit, you've got Balaba, Santos, Tillemans, Mainu, and you can use Mount as a fifth choice if you want.

53:31So look, we definitely, I agree with Ray. I don't agree with the players that we've signed, I'll be honest, but we have signed three midfielders. And if we'd signed two, it would have been a disgrace. So we have spent£150 million and we have signed three midfielders. Are they the three midfielders I wanted? No. Are they absolute dog shit? No. Is there risk? Yeah. Let's hope it works. But we have spent£150 million. um belaba's going to end up costing around 70 i would say um santos cost 148 so that's about 115 and then tillemans was 35 so we spent 150 million pounds bang on on our midfield ticks all the boxes as per our board rather the only box desperate to play for man united's mojo hope you're doing well we can spend 65 million on Belaber but not 85 million for Tonali reality speaks differences Indy Kayla called it out yesterday yeah mate if you literally tweet 50 times a day about every transfer possible for four months at some point you're going to hit the bullseye aren't you we can spend 65 million on Belaber but not 85 million for Tonali or Fernandes which one of them is overpaid overpriced well they're all overpriced one's cheaper though and look I'm not here to defend the Glazers and Ineos but it's not really about overpaying it's about how much it is if a player's 90 million or 80 million we don't want to spend it if a player's 50 million or 70 million we will even if the 70 million pound player's only worth 50 and the 50 million pound player's only worth 40 you are overpaying but will happily do it they just don't want to go over 70 million I think his stats last summer beat Fernandes Santos on Tonali in defensive contributions.

55:22Still not convinced though. Yes, Glenn, his defensive, successful defensive actions, he does score well. He does. But he did also spend a hell of a lot of time on the bench and didn't play as many minutes as everybody else. And his passes per 90 is woeful. So yes, the defensive contribution does score very high. I absolutely agree. but on the ball scores very low so look he's a prospect there's a lot of work to do does having Carrick as manager a former world class CDM not soften the blow with Balaba says Tark well I've already said it Tark I think with Santos and Balaba you would hope that Michael Carrick as one of the greatest ever Premier League midfielders if you can't learn from him who can you learn from so hopefully that happens but then the flip side of that is did we need two prospects?

56:18Or did we need two players who can hit the ground and one prospect? Because Santos and Balaba are both prospects in the same position. What I'm saying is, if Santos and Balaba both struggle, we have nobody with experience to play that role. I mean, Manu's a prospect, Tillemans is experienced. Santos is a prospect. Maybe we should have gone for someone with experience. I'll back him in the moment. The shirt is held up, but not currently happy. My query is why fans are constantly happy with prospects. He could be amazing, but shouldn't we strive to buy people who are already ready? They cost money, Pengers, I suppose.

56:55Any news on Xerxes leaving? Look, you know me. I'll always say what I think, Levi. But I wasn't one of the people who said we won't sign players. I mean you know I saw a clip from another channel with some journalists on and they may as well have a had a picture of the Glazers and been snogging it they were going oh I'd accept not getting another midfielder as long as we get a left back and a backup striker and if we do get a midfielder a 30 million pound midfielder someone like Sander Berg and I'm like fucking hell I'd rather get Carlos Belaber than Sanderberg, by the way. I mean, I wouldn't sign either of them, but I would rather get Belaber than Sanderberg.

57:40And maybe that's because I know we're getting Belaber now, and it's not the fee. I just think the upside of Belaber is a risk, but there's more upside with Belaber than there is with Sanderberg, who's going to be 29 this year. So, you know, it's not what I wanted, but it could have been worse. it could have been no midfielder it could have been Sanderberg you know it could have been worse I've now changed my mind if they're on Balaber if they solve the left back my problem was the price as a backup or a sub for Santos I actually can stand behind it says Elliot well I think that's going to be the interesting thing about Balaber will he be a backup will he be a backup or will he be a starter because£65m you would expect him to start but then if he's not going to be fit he's going to have to earn his place so you're right just painted Balebu Maynou Baleba do we think Indy Kaila is related to Baleba says Dylan possibly didn't want him last season but hope it works says Robert McCormack hope you're doing well pal Leipzig are capable of signing in Burmo and Kunja says Sunrise's Army in my language Bomba means fart which is what this feels like says Dumas Goles does this leave room in the budget for Hall says FCR Man United have got the money for Hall if they want to let's see what happens And the good thing about whether you're happy with Belaber or not, and clearly there is a split, the good thing is we have done a deal.

59:12And I said last night, the indication was we weren't going to do anything until after Hall. So yet again, something's happened quite quickly. So if Belaber is holding up a Man United shirt by the end of the week, that gives us a week and a half to get a left back. And suddenly a week and a half feels like long enough, doesn't it? So look, there is talk about Xerxes going to Napoli. If Xerxes goes to Napoli or Juventus or Roma, then United will have to bring somebody else in as well. Becker says, I remember the days we got the best players and they wanted to come. Real marquee signings, how far we've fallen.

59:45Hope I'm wrong as well. Another AFCON player is another worry. Belaber best work for them after passing on everyone else, says Jack. I don't think the AFCON is going to happen in January anymore. I might be completely wrong about that, but I thought they'd moved it to the summer. How about we be saying for years to trust the scouts? So let's trust the scouts. Back the player and hope he hits them heights. We thought we could get, says JMR. But you don't know whether it is the scouts. You don't know whether the scouts have said, get Mateus Fernandes, get Tenali. And Favella said, no, we're getting Blaber.

1:00:14You don't know whether it's the scouts. Somebody's going to come out and claim this. But I don't know. I don't know. Sancho PTSD, says Mrs Stone. I just reread it. And the 60 million plus five is under Brighton's valuation, but amicable torts continue. So that means it's going to cost 70. This gets worse, says Shane. If, look, let me say this about the price, because I think I got caught out by this as well, Shane. If we are paying 60 million plus five for Belaber, considering they wanted 80 a year ago, he's still overpriced based on a shit season but it's not horrific in this market 60 plus 5 in this market is not horrific I don't think he's worth more than 50 based on you know he was shit last season and the year before that was over a year ago you know you can't pay 60 million pounds for a bloody prospect so I think his price should be more like Santos because he had a similar season to Santos, maybe even worse.

1:01:18So I think his price is 50. But in this market, 60 plus five, everything's a bit overinflated, fine. But if we end up paying 70, what for? You know, if we pay 70 million for Blaber, what are you actually doing it for? The year's 2026, not 2025. I can't, I can't, I'm not, and look, hopefully the player's going to do really well at Man United. That's not what we're talking about. But on what grounds can Man United sit there all summer saying they're not going to overpay for players, they won't have their pants pulled down? And are you going to give £70 million to Brighton for a 22-year-old who's been benched by Milner for most of the season, not had a good season?

1:02:02£70 million is ridiculous. And then, you give£70 million for the Labour, you're not actually far off Scott. You're not actually far off Enmica. You know, you're not actually far off other players, but as somebody said, the mic drop isn't the fee. Mateus Fernandes is probably on 200 grand a week. Tonali's probably on 250 grand a week. The Labour probably wants 100. This will be about the wage. I don't think United care about giving 70 million pounds and looking idiots. It's probably the wage. But look, Chelsea are apparently going to get Scott. My only hope is Kudos wasn't allowed to leave West Ham and had a poor season.

1:02:43Spurs still went back and apart from injury, he's been a good signing, says Artads. Moments of silence for the merry-go-round journalists this summer. Ornstein is the king. Balaba is underwhelming, but he's the profile. It has to work, says Shea. And unless we're selling to Saudi next summer for 90, then it's a bad deal. He's a mid-to-low table French League midfielder at best, says Ben. Did anyone notice that the total for the midfield is exactly 150 million? We spoke about that, Shan, yeah. Do you thought Balaba signs to keep Vival at United? Could be. I mean, look, let me have a quick look because I haven't checked my phones though sometimes.

1:03:19I do get a message while I'm in.

1:03:37Yeah, I think, I mean, I'm just reading what I've been sent there. Favell is stubborn. So look, Favell is probably the driver behind this. I like, you know, honestly, out of Wilcox, Belaber and Favell, I would listen to Favell. So I'm not going to sit here and say we shouldn't have listened to Favell. I would do. But he's got to be right on this. He has to be right on this because there are so many people we could have gone for. The midfield market was so awash with options. And you're going for a player that's overpriced and divisive. So you've got to get this right. You've got to get it right.

1:04:20Nick P says, my prophecy from five months ago has almost played out. Two cheaper 20-somethings, no one's spoken about. Belaber Markey and a couple of youth promotions. Bailwall Justice says, this is awful. Belaber is worse than Agate. Brighton haven't even accepted the offer. Will likely pay 70 plus five. He's not even a six. because he's passing and game control is subpar. It's an absolutely ridiculous deal, says Connie. Well, I would urge all of you. Look, my overarching thing is don't want to do the deal. I've been very vocal about that. But when he holds the shirt up, I hope it works and I will back him.

1:04:52Because that's just what I believe, right? That's what I believe. But he is divisive. There are a lot of red flags and it is a panic buy, especially at the price we're going to end up paying. however I would urge people to actually go and look at the player from last season because defensive contributions scores very high on the ball passing very low so we do need somebody who's athletic and combative but we also need somebody who's good on the ball as well so that's he's a prospect he's a prospect Blake says so we've just wasted 12 months spewing out names such as Chumini, Tonali, just to do a complete U-turn and sign Balaba.

1:05:37Balaba is the perfect get out of jail cards, says Nick P. They can say we're in for him and planned it all along. We just waited for the right price. Well, you say we've waited for the right price. I mean, I think that's one thing that's still up for grabs, isn't it? I don't think he's worth any more than 50, but Brighton are very good sellers and you have got to give them credit on that. they do sell well. And also, can I just say this? If he's so good, why are Brighton willing to drop the price a little bit in the last two weeks of the window? I mean, Brighton were talking about £100 million 12 months ago.

1:06:16Now they're willing to do a deal for 65. Is that not an admission that they don't actually think he's a£100 million player as well? I mean, look, I stand by that. why did they want£100 million a year ago and now they'll take 65? If they believe he's a£100 million player, why are they not asking for that? Because he's not a£100 million player, is he? There is risk and they know it, so they've dropped the price. We have to take that risk on board. There is an element of risk. Let's just hope it plays out. Brilliant show today. We will obviously keep a track on this. We have got a two o 'clock show as well, eight o 'clock, and we'll be live in between monitoring this going on because we could get a here, we go at any point.

1:06:57Brilliant show this morning. Lots and lots of intelligent conversation. 53 % happy with the deal, 47 % not. It's going to be intriguing. It's another intriguing ingredient in a very, very interesting Manchester United season, isn't it? Talking of which, don't forget, stick to United. Brilliant episode yesterday with Wayne. You can check that out. But also today, we launch our members' Fantasy Premier League. So that's recorded. It's going out today. if you want to get involved in that we've got prizes all sorts going on a weekly video on our members section for our United Stand Fantasy Premier League I well I don't want to give any spoilers away but I actually was going to put Belaber on my bench because he's cheap as a Brighton option so maybe I should look at him as a Man United option but he is injured so scan the QR code click and join the members club get involved in that and also on there you can see our exclusive When Goldbridge Met Rooney at his house and tomorrow we've got another exclusive members video with me and Wayne answering your questions and a big bar of Toblerone is a prop.

1:08:00So check all that out, all on there. Weekly, extra content under the member section, exclusive for you. Very excited to get the Premier League stuff, Fantasy Premier League going and I will be taking it seriously. Can you beat me in the league? Scan the QR code. Thank you everybody. Great show today. I really respect everybody's opinion. I think it was a very grown up, mature show again. No screaming and shouting, ranting or abuse or anything like that. As I say, if he's signing for United, let's hope it works out. But for me, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near him. But let's hope it works. Take care.

1:08:32Stay safe. We'll speak to you in a bit.

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From the publisher

David Ornstein drops a HUGE transfer bomba as Manchester United push to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba!


Mark Goldbridge breaks down all the live drama, latest reports, and what this massive move means for United's midfield setup. Is Baleba the exact profile United need, or are Brighton driving a hard bargain? Get the full live reaction, transfer breakdown, and debate!

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