Carlos Baleba don come long way from the day wey him bin pull out of Cameroon Cup last-16 match because of school exam. Now, Baleba exams dey happen for football field, and one big one dey wait at Old Trafford this weekend.
E no fair to call the 22-year-old the potential saviour of Manchester United season. But at £70m, Baleba na by far the most expensive of United three major summer signings. Na him dem earmark for the holding midfield role wey Michael Carrick don get trouble to fill well since Casemiro exit in May.
United bin know say Baleba get ankle injury when dem buy am from Brighton on 25 August. Dem fit wait until after international break for the Cameroon midfielder to make him debut. Dem no expect say dem go dey 12th for Premier League with just one win and five points from opening five games.
To make am worse, Brighton come from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to knock United out of EFL Cup. So pressure dey on Baleba and him new club before rock-bottom Tottenham visit, before three away trips in a row. Champions League encounters at Atletico Madrid and Como fall either side of journey across Pennines to face Leeds.
One United insider talk say first impression of Baleba na say e dey very quick. E cover ground really well. A handful of training sessions before dem name am on bench for 1-1 draw at Fulham on 20 September, plus closed doors game against Swiss League outfit Lausanne-Sports on 2 October when United international contingent no dey, na small sample to form opinion on. But Baleba speed suppose bring positive benefits to United midfield.
Andrey Santos get that speed; Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans no get am as much. Carrick don pair Mainoo and Tielemans for last four league games because of their better technical ability. United don too easy to play through, and danger no dey spotted quick enough. Carrick side na one of only four for top flight yet to keep clean sheet. Dem don concede twice in four out of seven games in all competitions. Until answer show, upturn in form hard to see.
Baleba must do more than just run fast. Him input must show for dressing room and for pitch. Sources talk say initial shyness and nervousness wey make sense dey being overcome. Baleba no be the most confident English speaker, but e don improve well since e move to Brighton from Lille for £23.2m in 2023. E don strike friendship with Amad Diallo.
Na coincidence say two young players from Africa dey do recovery work at same time, but e also helpful say shared background create natural bond wey dem don build over last few weeks. Amad even laugh for video wey e upload on social media of Baleba poking fun at am after Cameroon beat him Ivory Coast for friendly on 3 October.
Baleba be former team-mate of new France international Leny Yoro at Lille and Bryan Mbeumo for international level. E already get other unexpected relationships for United Carrington training ground judging by him joking with Patrick Dorgu after final game of last season at Amex Stadium.
Key for United na say Baleba produce performances wey light up him 2024-25 campaign and earn suggestions of potential move to Real Madrid, rather than those last term wey often below-par. Suggestions say Baleba had him head turned by late interest from United for summer of 2025 don dey dismissed by Brighton sources, although dem no offer alternative reason for dip in form.
As e turn out, background work wey data and recruitment teams for Carrington do 12 months ago no waste. After dem miss out on Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, and with other options wey dem deem unsuitable, United move for Baleba just before shock opening-day defeat at Hull, completing deal just afterwards. Given dem bin quote significantly more than £100m for the midfielder for August 2025, dem regard £70m as good business.
However, Baleba never step on pitch. And as Fernandes don show with him disappointing early performances for Tottenham, any early assessment of wetin be good deal suppose wait for that. E go dey fascinating to see how Baleba and Fernandes match up if dem start at Old Trafford, when defeat for either side fit turn early season disappointment into near crisis.
Baleba natural jocular personality suppose help him preparation. E go hope to get chance to show off him back flip goal celebration, even if ability to find net no be why United buy am. More importantly, e get powerful determination to succeed wey him dad drill into am. Him dad push am through punishing training sessions when e young, and Baleba don talk say na integral to him becoming professional.
For one sense, success already achieved because e fulfil promise e make to him mum to build her house for Douala. Tragically for Baleba, him mother die few months before e leave Lille and never see am. E still dey push, still motivated to do well for her, as e recount for interview with Guardian for April 2025.
Go back further, to chat with French football magazine Onze Mondial for September 2023, you go reach core of wetin make Baleba tick. When e explain him passions outside football, Baleba talk about manga, wey British Museum describe as Japanese comic books or graphic novels, wey now get fans across globe. Him favourite series na Fist of the North Star, and hero of the series na Kenshiro. Baleba explain say when Kenshiro start out, everyone beat am up, e get covered in scars, then e become strong. After that, e be the one beating everyone up. E never give up. I like that attitude.
