Bariba's price is set! Manchester United's £50 million plan rejected by Brighton, giants favor Brazilian defensive midfielder.

Manchester United has once again been linked with Brighton's Carlos Bariba this week, with British media reporting that the club hopes to sign this last summer's transfer target for £50 million. However, the "Seagulls" have rejected this plan, stating that this price absolutely cannot buy Bariba.

"TEAMtalk" reports that Brighton is willing to lower Bariba's asking price, but not to as low as £50 million. Last year, they set an astronomical price of over £100 million for Bariba, but due to his underwhelming performance this season, he might now be sold for around £70 million. Bariba experienced a darkest moment in February against Aston Villa, being substituted after just 22 minutes because he received a yellow card within 2 minutes of play and was at risk of being sent off. In Brighton's match against Tottenham, Bariba remained on the bench throughout.

However, Brighton believes that Bariba is only 22 years old, and they initially spent only €27 million to bring him in from Lille in Ligue 1, so there is considerable flexibility, and they certainly will not incur a loss regardless. Therefore, even if they cannot sell Bariba this summer, the club is not anxious and can continue to wait. Bariba's contract runs until 2028, with an option for an automatic one-year extension, placing Brighton in a very advantageous position. They demand a substantial transfer fee to agree to his departure.

Coach Fabian Hürzeler believes that in the 3-0 victory over Chelsea, he saw the form of Bariba from last season. Recently, in the ranking of Brighton's midfield players, Bariba's standing is lower than Pascal Gross, James Milner, Yasin Ayari, and Jack Hinshelwood. However, in the match against Chelsea, Bariba started for the first time in over a month, and it was also his third full 90-minute game this season.

"We have many players in our team who can play in this position, the competition is very intense, for example Ayari performed well against Tottenham," Hürzeler said. "Therefore, Carlos (Bariba) must be patient. However, in my view, the qualities Carlos possesses as a player are something we lack in our team. He has excellent physical attributes and strong dominance. If he can perform at his best level, as he did against Chelsea, then he definitely is a key player in our team."

Hürzeler further explained: "Today, I recalled Carlos from last season again. He also possesses excellent physical attributes, plays in a straightforward style, and always takes initiative in the match. I am really pleased to see him regaining his form. Because we always see Carlos's outward appearance, but never notice what lies behind Carlos. He is still a very young player, inevitably going through periods of fluctuation. We strive to create a secure and comfortable environment for him, an environment where he can make mistakes, and we will always be by his side, offering encouragement and support."

If the price is right, Brighton will not hinder Bariba's transfer. They already have a next target; their scouts last week observed Vicente Pizarro of Rosario Central in Argentina, this 23-year-old Chilean left-footed defensive midfielder scored a stoppage-time winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Sarmiento. His current market value is around €7.5 million, undoubtedly an attractive option for a club like Brighton that excels at acquiring talented players at lower costs.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirms that Bariba still desires to join Manchester United, but the decision is not in his hands. "In August 2025, Manchester United had reached preliminary agreement on personal terms with Bariba. The player himself very much hopes to join Manchester United, but Brighton refused to sell at that time," Romano stated. "A similar situation occurred again in January, when Manchester United said they could reconsider the deal this summer. Bariba remains a target monitored by Manchester United's scouting team and internal senior officials, and this player still very much desires to transfer to Manchester United."

However, the British "Guardian" reports that Manchester United is also considering other options. Transfer expert Jamie Jackson stated that the club's football director Jason Wilcox favors 26-year-old Atalanta defensive midfielder Ederson and has contacted his agent. Ederson's transfer fee would only require between €40 million and €50 million, because this Brazilian player's contract expires in 2027.

La Liga's Atlético Madrid has already reached personal agreement with Ederson, but has not settled terms with Atalanta, and they are also in contact with Wolverhampton's João Gomes.