Atalanta’s Ederson: What the midfielder can offer at Manchester United | OneFootball

As things stand, all things point at Manchester United roping in Atalanta’s Ederson as their first signing of the summer. We take a deeper dive into what the midfielder can offer.

Walter Sabatini is known as one of the most silently influential sporting directors in the Italian game. From bringing Javier Pastore and Paulo Dybala to Serie A and then playing a key role in the careers of Mo Salah, Alisson, Marquinhos and Antonio Rudiger, Sabatini’s contributions to Calcio have been invaluable.

The Italian’s last job as a sporting director came at Salernitana in 2022. The Campania club found themselves in the botton three and days before Sabatini’s arrival, they had avoided the possibility of going into administration. The new sporting director had a job to do and he went about it ruthlessly, making major signings in the middle of the season to avoid the drop.

That is when the Granata shelled out €6m on Ederson, who arrived from Corinthians, months after spending a loan at Fortaleza. He could never quite become a regular at Corinthians but became a key player for Fortaleza, playing mainly in a double pivot. The move to Salernitana raised eyebrows but Ederson took no time in making a mark.

He played 15 times in the second half of the campaign, scoring two goals and becoming a central figure in helping Salernitana somehow avoid relegation. They finished with only 31 points, which is the lowest points total a club has needed to avoid relegation in Serie A history.

Ederson’s strengths

The Brazilian became a glue that kept the side together, taking position as the tireless worker in a midfield three of a pragmatic 3-5-2 setup under Davide Nicola. His workrate stood out but on the ball, he came across as adept at receiving between the lines, carrying the ball forward and breaking lines through movement and progression.

This dynamism caught the attention of Gian Piero Gasperini and Atalanta came forward for Ederson just six months after he first moved to Italy.

They weren’t the only club impressed. Napoli and Inter were also keen and there were suggestions that even Paris Saint-Germain were keeping a close eye on the player.

Atalanta days

Italian clubs rarely sign players on a permanent basis for fees over €20m. But Atalanta did that for Ederson, beating significant competition.

The move went under-the-radar but the player never simply kept going in Bergamo. He started his journey in an attacking midfield role in Gasperini’s famous 3-4-2-1 but the Italian soon realised that he would be best used deeper, where his workout would be more useful and his ability to receive and carry would be maximised.

With the veteran Marten De Roon regularly alongside him, Ederson had the room to roam as a number eight, while often dropping deeper to receive and progress the ball forward. When Teun Koopmeiners played alongside him, Ederson was the deeper midfielder but he never looked out of place.

The 2023/24 campaign saw him play completely in the midfield two. By that point, Gasperini had identified his strengths best, using Koopmeiners in advanced areas much more regularly. This worked well for both, as the Dutchman earned a move to Juventus because of that usage and Manchester United first starting keeping tabs on Ederson towards the end of the campaign.

He scored six goals in that season, growing into more of a physical specimen too. This allowed him to dash forward more often, catch defenders off-guard and make the most of Gasperini’s man-for-man system. His combative nature shone through, as the La Dea boss just knew how to use him.

Ederson was also instrumental in their run to the Europa League title, featuring in all but one game and playing the entirety of the final against Leverkusen.

Now, De Roon’s minutes in Bergamo have slowly faded and this has slightly altered Ederson’s main role. He has often found himself deeper, helping Mario Pasalic be the chief marauder from midfield. But even then, he has done reliably well, thriving as a receiver, keeping play ticking, dictating it and launching attacks himself.

Atalanta’s instability this season has impacted his overall numbers. Under Ivan Juric, they would operate deeper than they used to under Gasperini. Even then, he has been one of their standouts, playing over 2000 minutes in Serie A.

What can Ederson offer to Manchester United

His well-rounded profile will elevate the level of Manchester United’s midfield. More than that, he is a much more technical outlet than Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

While his compatriot does offer goals and aerial ability, Ederson is a notch above at holding on to the ball, dictating play and receiving it deep. Casemiro was more about constantly launching it forward after a touch and his ability to receive in the right spaces was never seen. Ugarte’s technical ability has been non-existent and he was simply signed as someone who could cover distance.

Ederson offers more than both and has shown that he can be responsible enough to let the second midfielder move forward. This will benefit Kobbie Mainoo a lot, as his best comes as someone who enjoys moving forward, breaking lines and turning past the opposition press.

That in itself is what Ederson himself ideally wants to be. It makes him a more than reliable alternative to Mainoo in the number eight role, especially since Manchester United will sign a proper number six as well. 

Structurally, he has shown enough to slot into a midfield two and a midfield three. That is rare trait in the modern game, making Ederson quite a malleable asset and that is probably why Diego Simeone appeared keen to bring him to Atletico Madrid. The Argentine is a fan of players of that ilk, as Ederson boasts dynamism, technical ability and long legs that can cover quite a bit of distance when needed.

All in all, he offers quite a bit of value for €40m. Manchester United can do much worse and have done much worse when they signed Ugarte for a much bigger fee, despite his technical shortcomings. Ederson has far more in his arsenal and is an excellent start for a midfield rebuild.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN