Manchester United have stepped up their summer recruitment drive by opening talks with Atalanta over a deal for midfielder Ederson, with reports in Italy lifting the lid on the opening bid, which comes close to the Brazilian’s valuation, they are willing to make.
The Red Devils are busy preparing for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford, hoping to take a giant step closer towards the final, ironically to be staged at the home of Bilbao, in just 20 days time. Victory in the competition will secure Manchester United a passage into the Champions League, which in turn would have a serious impact on the club’s spending capacity this summer.
And while Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff are plotting their way past the crack Spanish side, technical director Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell are busy finalising plans to strengthen the United squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
It seems the men are in a hurry too and with a deal for Matheus Cunha hurtling towards the finishing line, United are also due to wrap up the signing of a promising French teenager too.
At the same time, United are also desperate to strengthen in midfield, with Christian Eriksen certain to leave and doubts continuing to linger over Casemiro. Either way, United will have at least one midfield hole to fill this summer.
As a result, reports in Italy claim Wilcox has now stepped up the chase for Ederson by ramping up United’s quest to get a deal done.
The midfielder, who has played a leading role in the rise of Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in recent years, has previously been described as a “dream midfield target” for United by in-the-know transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Now, as per Tuttosport, United chief Wilcox has ‘increased contacts’ with the Serie A in ‘the last few hours’ as he presses forward to try and get a deal over the line.
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What has Romano said on Ederson and what is Man Utd’s opening bid?
Speaking on his YouTube channel last week, Romano described Ederson as a dream signing for the Red Devils to come in and bolster their midfield.
“There is a player they discuss internally. [He] is an eventual dream target for Manchester United, because he could be quite expensive. And this is Ederson from Atlanta, a wonderful midfielder we know very well here in Serie A,” Romano said.
“He’s a player they really, really like, but they also know how tough it is to negotiate with Atalanta. So he’s not an easy one.
“It’s not something to do now or next week or in two weeks, like Cunha. So he’s a completely different sort of story.”
Our reporter Rudy Galetti has also confirmed United’s interest in signing Ederson, revealing back in February that the Serie A side were likely to demand a fee in the region of €60m (£51.5m, $68m) before selling him.
As per Tuttosport, United’s opening offer is likely to come close to Atalanta’s price point, with an offer worth €55m (£47m, $62.7m) expected.
Furthermore, it has also been revealed, though that they are preparing for his exit by already sounding out replacements for the three-time Brazil international as he is refusing to sign a new contract and is pushing hard for a summer exit.
Man Utd transfer latest: Amorim slaps down Gyokeres; Argentine to snub move
Meanwhile, Romano has relayed the devastating message Amorim has sent Viktor Gyokeres amid claims he will only move to Old Trafford on one condition, though a second source has confirmed talks over a deal HAVE been held.
Elsewhere, United are also expected to finalise the signing of a quality French wonderkid, with the striker jetting into the north-west to finalise his move – and the player is expected to be the first of two quickfire additions at Old Trafford this summer.
However, hopes of a move for another top teenage talent – this time from Argentina – have taken a blow amid a new claim that the player is holding out for a move to Real Madrid instead.
And finally, United are also in the market for a new goalkeeper to replace Andre Onana and are reported to be preparing a ‘formal offer’ for a 32-year-old icon.
Who is Atalanta’s Ederson?
By Samuel Bannister
No, he isn’t the Manchester City goalkeeper. Ederson of Atalanta has been making his own name over the past couple of years with his rise to prominence in Italian football.
It took a long time for Ederson to settle at a club as he embarked on a winding road to where he is now, but he has since established himself as a key player for a side regularly challenging in the European places and earned his senior Brazil debut in the summer of 2024.
Starting out at Desportivo Brasil and also having a brief spell in China with Shandong Luneng as an academy player, Ederson earned a move to Cruzeiro in 2018 and got more chances than expected, standing out as one of their best players in the 2019 Serie A campaign, even though it ended in relegation.
A dispute between player and club followed, with Ederson ultimately allowed to join Corinthians. He later had a loan spell with Fortaleza, whom he helped qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
But he would not get to represent them in it, as he moved to Italy with Salernitana in January 2022 and stood out for a side who narrowly avoided relegation. Within just six months, he had shown enough that he was above Salernitana’s level, and Atalanta bought him.
Since then, Ederson has found stability, even becoming a Europa League champion in 2024. A dynamic midfielder, Ederson is energetic and can influence the game from an attacking or defensive viewpoint.
Ederson is pretty much the full package as a midfielder, apart from goalscoring (although he did get seven last season). He can pass as efficiently as he can tackle or intercept, making him perfect for playing on the transition.
In terms of his role, the right-footer can operate as a holding midfielder or as part of a pairing in the middle of the park. He did play further forward for Atalanta at first, but has fared much better with a slightly deeper deployment. However, he is instructed to operate, Ederson works like a machine and wins duels galore.
Ederson could well be a manager’s dream and it might not be long before clubs are battling to take him out of Bergamo.
