Carrick in dreamland as Man Utd now in ‘advanced talks’ to seal first summer signing | OneFootball

Manchester United are on course to complete the signing of Ederson and are attempting to negotiate a fee £8million below the amount Italian media reports Atalanta are demanding for the midfielder.

TEAMtalk transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, revealed ‘major progress’ in talks between Man Utd and Atalanta earlier this week and everything points to a deal being formally struck imminently.

Man Utd are planning a major midfield rebuild ahead of next season with at least two new central midfielders expected to arrive at Old Trafford.

Ederson has long been admired internally at United, and TEAMtalk previously revealed the club had remained attentive to his situation even while Atletico Madrid appeared favourites to land the 26-year-old.

TalkSPORT state that the Red Devils are ‘closing in’ on a deal for Ederson. They note how reports from Italy have stated that the move could be worth £43million.

However, they note that ‘United are looking to strike the deal at significantly below this number and far closer to the £35m mark.’ TEAMtalk has reported previously that the package is likely to be around £38m in total.

Ederson, for his part, is ready to move to Old Trafford and has already agreed in principle to join on a five-year contract. His deal with Atalanta expires next summer – a reason why Atalanta have been open to negotiating his sale.

Man Utd won’t stop after Ederson deal sealed

Ederson has established himself as one of Serie A’s standout midfielders since joining Atalanta in 2022 and is hugely appreciated for his athleticism, ball-carrying ability and tactical versatility.

Despite enjoying another impressive campaign in Italy, the midfielder surprisingly missed out on Brazil’s World Cup squad this summer.

Man Utd believe his profile is ideally suited to Michael Carrick’s plans as the club attempt to build a more dynamic and physically dominant midfield structure heading into next season.

However, the club are still looking to bring in another new midfielder once the deal for Ederson is finalised.

Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has long been considered their top target. Manchester City are the big favourites to sign the England international, but INEOS could make a last-minute play to try and hijack the deal.

Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is also on their radar and admired personally by Carrick. But it could take north of £100million to lure him from St James’ Park.

With Casemiro on his way out of Old Trafford, and Manuel Ugarte’s future in doubt, expect one more high-profile midfield signing for the Red Devils.

But for now, they are making a strong start to the window by snaring Ederson, with his arrival expected in the very near future.