Injuries rarely come with a bright side, but Carlos Baleba’s ankle ligament damage could have a silver lining for Brighton & Hove Albion.Although the Cameroon midfielder is expected to miss the start of the season, at least his setback reduces the possibility he could depart before the summer transfer window shuts on September 1.As The Athletic reported on Thursday, Baleba’s absence is a blow but Brighton do not expect the injury to be a long-term problem.Once he recovers, the 22-year-old will be central to the plans of head coach Fabian Hurzeler. Brighton’s prospects in the Premier League, Conference League and domestic cup competitions will improve substantially if Baleba rediscovers the form that attracted strong interest from Manchester United last summer.United’s eagerness to land him has cooled since then. They still rate him highly, but not as highly as Brighton value a player they believe has the tools to put a below-par 2025-26 season behind him.Will Man United move for Carlos Baleba this summer?Ian Irving and Laurie WhitwellLast August, when United made contact via intermediaries to explore the conditions of a deal, it was made clear that Brighton wanted to keep Baleba. United hoped they could get him for around £60million ($80m at the time). They broadly agreed personal terms with Baleba, but the asking price was close to £115m, with the deal that took Moises Caicedo to Chelsea from Brighton in 2023 used as a yardstick.The clubs were poles apart in their valuations. United made a courtesy call to Brighton the day before the season kicked off to say they would not be pursuing the transfer.