Baleba has long been a target for the Red Devils who have already acquired Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos this summer in an effort to rebuild their midfield.
The Cameroon international made 23 league starts last season, eight fewer than in 2024-25 as he dealt with various knocks and injuries under manager Fabian Hurzeler.
As United consider all options, it looks like a move for Baleba has been ruled out as journalist David Ornstein revealed on Thursday afternoon that the 22-year-old will be out for a number of weeks as he wrote for The Athletic.
“Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba has suffered an ankle ligament injury and is a doubt for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
“Baleba is expected to spend a period on the sidelines but Brighton hope the problem is not a long-term one.”
Last summer United made a move for Baleba but Brighton’s asking price of around £100M was enough for the club to pull out of the deal.
Tielemans and Santos cost United around £85M combined and with Baleba now out for the start of the campaign, the chances of Carrick making a move are next to zero.
TalkSPORT state Brighton would push for a fee in excess of £75M, a fee that United will not bite at this summer.