Brighton have an admirable recruitment system in place, allowing them to sign some of the most promising players in the Premier League.
The latest name on everyone’s tongue at Brighton is Carlos Baleba, who arrived as a young signing before rapidly developing into a key midfield figure.
Baleba was subject to interest from Manchester United in the summer, but Brighton’s £100m asking price was deemed off-putting as Ineos overlooked the midfield department.
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The 21-year-old arrived at Brighton in August 2003 from Lille, signing a five-year contract. He has since become renowned as a defensive midfielder with high levels of stamina, powerful tackling, and dribbling ability.
Reports suggest Baleba remains a target for United, but he will get a chance to play in front of Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford on Saturday. It could be seen as an audition for the young Cameroon international.
However, Baleba is not the only player at Brighton who recently attracted United’s attention.
Photo by George Wood/Getty ImagesMan Utd looked at Charalampos Kostoulas before Brighton transfer
Brighton announced the signing of Charalampos Kostoulas from Olympiacos in June 2025.
The deal was reported to be worth £34 million, making it one of the most expensive signings in Brighton’s history.
United scouted Kostoulas in December 2024, while the 18-year-old Greek U21 international was attracting interest from other European heavyweights like Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Kostoulas ultimately chose to join Brighton, a club renowned for developing young players, and making significant profit on them thanks to their solid recruitment strategy.
The youngster arrived after enjoying an incredible breakthrough season for Olympiacos, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in 35 appearances across all competitions.
However, Kostoulas has been limited to one minute in the Premier League so far in the 2025/26 campaign.
That means he is unlikely to feature against United this weekend.
That doesn’t change the fact that United and other clubs will be paying close attention to Kostoulas’ development over the coming years to see how he settles in the Premier League.
Man Utd horrible recent record against Brighton
United are looking to record a third consecutive win in the Premier League, after wins over Sunderland and Liverpool.
The Red Devils have lost six of their last seven Premier League games against Brighton.
That record sees Brighton become United’s bogey team in recent years, which is something Amorim will want to change starting now.
To make matters worse, Brighton have won on their last three visits to Old Trafford.
United are currently one point better off than Brighton in the league table, increasing the significance of the game tenfold.