Manchester United sun samu sa hannun midfield ɗin ƙasa da ƙasa na Cameroon Carlos Baleba daga Brighton a cikin yarjejeniya mai darajar har zuwa £70m — tare da kuɗin farko na £65m da karin £5m mai alaƙa da aiki. Brighton kuma sun tattauna wani yanki na sayarwa ta gaba a cikin yarjejeniyar.

Ɗan wasan ƙafa mai shekaru 22 ya rattaba hannu kan kwantiragin shekaru biyar a Old Trafford, tare da zaɓin tsawaita shekara ɗaya, bayan da United suka yanke shawarar ƙara ƙarfafa tsakiyarsu wadda ta riga ta karɓi Andrey Santos daga Chelsea da Youri Tielemans daga Aston Villa a wannan bazara.

"Yana da kyau sosai don shiga ƙungiyar mafarkin na," in ji shi. "Wasa a Old Trafford koyaushe yana da na musamman, amma damar yin haka a matsayin ɗan wasan Manchester United za ta kasance girmamawa ta gaske."

Baleba ya kuma bayyana yadda yake matukar jira don yin aiki ƙarƙashin horon Michael Carrick, yana yaba ƙwarewarsa da ilimi mai zurfin wasan, yayin da ya jaddada yanayin niyyar ƙungiyar a fili.

Saye da ya biyo bayan kama-da-wuya rashin nasara

Yarjejeniyar Baleba ta zo bayan rashin nasara mai ban mamaki 2-0 da United suka sha a hannun Hull City a wasan buɗe Premiere League na kakar, inda Santos da Tielemans suka fara tsakiyar su na farko tare.

United sun riga sun yi ƙoƙarin saye Baleba shekara da ta gabata kusa da ƙarshen window, amma farashin Brighton — wanda ya zarce £100m a lokacin — ya katse tattaunawar. A wannan karo, an cimma yarjejeniya a sharuɗɗa mafi dacewa don United.

Baleba ya shiga Brighton daga Lille a shekara ta 2023 yana ɗan shekara 19, ya buga wasanni 112 don ƙungiyar yana ci huɗu, ciki har da wasanni 31 na Premier League kakar da ta gabata yayin da Brighton suka ƙare a matsayi na takwas suka kuma cancanci shiga Conference League.

Wannan saye ya kai jimlar kashe kuɗin United na bazara zuwa £153m, yayin da suke shirya dawowar zuwa UEFA Champions League a karon farko tun kakar 2023-24.

Menene Baleba ke kawo wa United?

Baleba a halin yanzu yana waje da filin saboda rauni na ƙwayar ciki da ya samu a lokacin sansanin kafin kakar Seagulls a Austria, kuma zai buƙaci lokaci don dawo da ƙanƙancinsa na gasa.

Duk da haka, ƙwarewarsa ba ta da tambaya: yana da ƙarfi a riƙe ƙwallon, yana rufewa filin da sauri, yana da kyau a iska, kuma yana fadaka ga haɗari na tsaro. A kakar 2024-25, ya kasance na huɗu a tsakanin midfielders na Premier League wajen samun mallakar ƙwallo a tsakiyar sashi na uku (107) da tsangwama (46), na biyar a samu ƙwallo (197), da na bakwai a yakin da aka ci nasara (199).

Saurinsa na sama ya kai 34.5 km/h a wannan kakar — idan aka kwatanta da 30.5 km/h na Casemiro — yayin da ya nuna matsakaicin ayyuka 8.2 na tsaro a kowane minti 90 da madaidaicin ɗaukar ƙwallo 6.7 na ci gaba a minti 90.

Ko da yake bayananansa na ƙeto ba su ayyana shi mai gudanarwa ba — kashi 11.8% kawai na fassinsa an ɗauke su a matsayin layin karya da kashi 22.7% na zuwa gaba — ya bayyana ƙarin cikawa ga sauran zaɓuɓɓukan Carrick maimakon madadin kai tsaye. Tielemans na iya ba da rarraba ta ci gaba, yayin da Baleba ke ba da tsaro na tsaro da ikon ɗaukar ƙwallo gaba.

Tare da Kobbie Mainoo, zai iya ɗaukar yawancin aikin samun ƙwallo da rufewa filin, yayin da haɗin gwiwa tare da Santos na iya bai wa Baleba ƙarin 'yanci don aiki daga akwatin zuwa akwatin. An nuna sassauƙarsa a cikin kididdiga na matsayinsa: kashi 88% na minutsansa na kakar da ta gabata ya kasance a matsayin midfield ɗin tsaro da kashi 12% a tsakiyar midfield.

Yana da shekaru 22 da ci gaba mai yawa a gabansu, Baleba — bayan Paul Pogba — shine mafi tsada da United suka yi don midfield ɗi, wanda shi kansa mai da hankali ne game da niyyar ƙungiyar mai fata gama haɗa ayyukan tsaro da ƙarfin ɗaukar ƙwallo don canza samun ƙwallo zuwa hari cikin 'yan daƙiƙoƙi.