Ederson: Man United’s surprise plans for Atalanta star unveiled | OneFootball

In another major twist, Manchester United remain interested in signing Ederson, despite having pulled the plug on the deal with Atalanta, according to the latest reports.

Dead in the water

Having agreed a £39 million fee with Atalanta at the beginning of June, Ederson looked set to become the first signing under Michael Carrick, with the 44-year-old coach said to have approved the Brazilian as a target.

The 27-year-old midfielder had rebuffed interest from Atletico Madrid and top clubs in Italy to prioritise a switch to Old Trafford, considering it a ‘dream move’. However, a late call-up to the Brazil squad by Carlo Ancelotti, to join Matheus Cunha and Casemiro, after an injury to right-back Wesley, delayed things.

The expectation was for the Sao Paulo native to complete a second medical once his tournament in North America had come to an end. However, United were understood to have raised concerns during his first medical in June, identifying a potential long-term knee injury which the club wanted to re-examine.

Ederson travelled to England last week to complete the tests, only for United’s medical staff to fail him. This was then communicated to Atalanta, with the transfer collapsing.

The Italian club firmly reject the view that their player has any physical issues, and are willing to open talks over a new five-year deal to reflect that. His current contract has one year remaining, which was a large part of United’s initial interest.

United could reignite a move

In the tale that keeps on giving, the Manchester Evening News claims the Red Devils remain “open” to signing Ederson. They will “seek to renegotiate the deal they’ve agreed with Atalanta” in an effort to get it over the line.

“While sources in Italy have claimed the deal is off and that Atalanta are ready to offer Ederson a new five-year deal, United haven’t ruled out going ahead with the signing,” the report states.

David Ornstein confirms United maintain interest in Ederson, despite the “decision to abandon a move” and the joint capture of Chelsea dynamo Andrey Santos and Aston Villa maestro Youri Tielemans, which was confirmed earlier today.

United could “look to revisit the situation later in the transfer window — efforts to strengthen Michael Carrick’s midfield go beyond Tielemans and the recent acquisition of Andrey Santos from Chelsea — although it is unclear if Atalanta and Ederson would do the same,” The Athletic journalist reveals.

Simon Stone (BBC) says the deal has been “scrapped”, despite United officials briefing that no final decision has been made. This mirrors the view of Italian transfer experts Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio, though Stone corroborates Ornstein’s assessment it could be reignited.

“Sources say the transfer could be resurrected later in the summer depending how the window develops for United, although the club would not be prepared to sanction any move at the previously agreed terms,” the BBC reporter states.

“While club officials say they are sympathetic to the player, they feel they have to act in the best interests of United. It is being stressed the move for Santos, whose arrival is due to be announced early this week, was not triggered by the issues with Ederson.”

Final Thoughts

With Santos and Tielemans both versatile midfielders capable of playing deep or in more box-to-box roles, Ederson is a less attractive proposition for Manchester United now. While his physicality and work rate are still needed to bring more balance to Carrick’s engine room, a more natural No.6 with speed, size and stamina in abundance should be the priority moving forward – and the club have already agreed terms with a perfect candidate.

Featured image by Simone Arveda/Getty Images

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