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Newcastle United have shifted their focus to Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba as Matthias Jaissle looks to rebuild a midfield that has been reshaped by two major departures this summer. Bruno Guimarães has completed a £75 million move to Arsenal, while Sandro Tonali has joined Tottenham for £100m, leaving Newcastle with substantial funds to reinvest but also two huge voids to address.

Baleba has now emerged as an appealing option because of his Premier League experience, physical presence and long-term upside.

The situation is especially notable for Manchester United, who have tracked the Cameroon international over several transfer windows but now seem increasingly unlikely to rival Newcastle for his signature this summer.

According to talkSPORT, Newcastle have identified Baleba as a possible replacement for Guimarães and Tonali, with Jaissle seeking a more experienced midfielder to complement younger summer arrivals Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur.

Despite being only 22, Baleba has already made 92 Premier League appearances for Brighton, which makes him significantly more proven than Newcastle’s teenage additions.

Manchester United’s long-running interest has cooled following their midfield recruitment this summer.

TEAMtalk reports that United are not expected to move for Baleba, which could leave Newcastle with a clear opening.

This looks like an opportunity Newcastle should explore seriously.

Baleba is not a like-for-like replacement for either Guimarães or Tonali, but his athleticism, ball-winning ability and capacity to drive through midfield could provide Jaissle with a strong base for his revamped side.

For Manchester United, watching Baleba join Newcastle could eventually prove frustrating. He had been one of their most admired midfield targets, but their priorities have changed after strengthening in other areas.

United’s attention has now switched towards signing a new left-back rather than bringing in another midfielder.

The main concern for Newcastle is Baleba’s current ankle ligament injury, which is set to rule him out at the start of the season. That makes any major outlay slightly more risky.

Even so, £65m would appear far more appealing than the nine-figure valuations that had previously been linked with the midfielder.