Wayne Rooney has backed new Manchester United signing Carlos Baleba to 'improve the team massively' after the club completed a £65 million deal for the Brighton midfielder.
The 22-year-old Cameroon international has signed a five-year contract with an option for a further year. The initial fee could rise to £70 million with add-ons, as United overhaul their midfield following Casemiro's departure at the end of last season.
Baleba is one of three new arrivals in the centre of the park, joining Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Both Santos and Tielemans started in United's 2-0 defeat to Hull City on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, while Kobbie Mainoo came off the bench.
Rooney's verdict on Baleba
Speaking on 'Stick to United with Wayne Rooney', the former United forward said: 'I really like him, I think he's a really good signing. We need another midfield player with a bit of physicality and I know he's not six-foot-four or whatever. But he covers the ground really well, he's aggressive, he takes the ball, and is what we need. He's a very good player who will improve the team massively.'
Rooney also welcomed the increased competition for places, adding: 'It will be interesting with (Youri) Tielemans, (Andrey) Santos and (Kobbie) Mainoo, but this is what it should be. Competition for places. If you don't play well, you don't play.'
Yorke's contrasting view
Another United legend, Dwight Yorke, offered a different perspective, saying he is 'confused' by the signing. Yorke believes the club should be addressing other areas of the squad rather than concentrating their transfer budget on one position.
'Carlos Baleba to Man Utd? It's been a very weird transfer window. Man Utd seem to be concentrating a lot on the central area of the park, where we already have plenty of players,' Yorke told Reviant. 'Don't forget [Manuel] Ugarte, who is injured. We know Casemiro did a pretty good job toward the end of last season, thanks to his experience, but I'm not sure why we are concentrating on that position so much.'
'The defensive areas of the pitch are the ones that stand out, and we haven't been able to address those. So, we've added another young player who is still unproven in Carlos Baleba. He showed good signs in the past, but from my understanding, we aren't signing him based on his recent form, but his form of a couple of seasons ago. I'm a bit confused by it myself, but I do believe we are focusing way too much on that central area rather than other aspects of the team.'
Impact on United's midfield
Baleba's arrival completes a significant overhaul of United's midfield. Bruno Fernandes remains club captain and a guaranteed starter, while Mainoo provides further depth. The club's focus on central midfield comes despite Yorke's concerns about defensive weaknesses, which he says remain unaddressed.
United's next test comes against Ipswich, with Rooney having previously advised Michael Carrick on team selection. The club have also issued a transfer ultimatum regarding a £57 million signing from the Erik ten Hag era. Baleba will be expected to make his debut in the coming weeks as United look to bounce back from their opening-day defeat.
