Sandro Tonali next on Manchester United’s radar as Ederson swoop nears completion | OneFootball

Manchester United’s ambitious summer midfield rebuild is gathering pace. With Atalanta’s dynamic box-to-box midfielder Ederson virtually secured, attention has quickly turned to a second major reinforcement, as United prepare to intensify their pursuit of Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali.

A €44m (£38m) deal with Atalanta for Ederson is close to being agreed, with the player already accepting a five-year contract and having paused talks with other suitors.

Rather than resting on their laurels, INEOS and Michael Carrick see the Brazilian as just one part of a new-look engine room designed to replace the departing Casemiro.

Tonali has emerged as a priority target, with the 26-year-old Italy international offering the blend of technical ability and tactical intelligence Carrick’s system demands.

The Italian has been hailed as ‘brilliant’ by United legend Paul Scholes. The Red Devils’ pursuit has been boosted by Newcastle’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, and by the financial reality that the St James’ Park outfit may need to sell a key asset to stay compliant with Premier League sustainability rules.

However, that could be Anthony Gordon, who is now wanted by Barcelona, while Bayern Munich continue to monitor his situation.

With Casemiro already gone, Manuel Ugarte expected to follow, and a Champions League campaign on the horizon, the urgency is clear. Ederson first, then Tonali—Carrick’s vision for the midfield is coming into focus.

The two signings are viewed as complementary rather than overlapping. Securing both Ederson and Tonali would be a major statement of intent from the INEOS regime, arming Michael Carrick with one of the most balanced and technically gifted midfield duos in world football.