Ederson: Andrea Pirlo tells Man United what to expect from Atalanta star | OneFootball

Manchester United remain on track to complete the signing of Atalanta enforcer Ederson after a £39 million deal was struck last month – with Serie A legend Andrea Pirlo giving his assessment of the midfielder.

World Cup dream is over

Ederson, 26, had been due to complete his medical to finalise the move to Old Trafford, only to receive a late call-up from Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil’s World Cup squad following an injury to Wesley.

Interestingly, Wesley is a right-back by trade, with the Italian manager clearly feeling Ederson’s skillset and versatility meant he could provide cover in the unfamiliar position.

Brazil endured a disappointing tournament in North America, however, suffering a dismal 2-1 defeat to Norway in the last sixteen on Sunday evening. Ederson came off the bench with the game poised at 0-0, only for an Erling Haaland brace to put the game beyond the Seleção’s reach.

In the build-up to the match, there had been speculation that United were set to pull out of the deal with Atalanta in an explosive twist. However, club sources moved quickly to dispel this unfounded gossip, communicating that the move remained on track to be completed once Ederson’s international duty had finished.

With Brazil having now crashed out of the World Cup – a defeat which marks the record-breaking country’s worst run at the tournament in history – the São Paulo native is expected to complete a new medical before putting pen to paper to officially become a Red Devil, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Pirlo is full of praise

Having established himself as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Serie A, Ederson remains something of an unknown entity in England, even with a pair of superb performances against Liverpool in Atalanta’s 2024 Europa League triumph.

But one man who can offer an expert opinion is Pirlo, the legendary Italian maestro with every major trophy a player can win sitting in his cabinet.

The former midfielder, most famed for his time with AC Milan and Juventus, believes Ederson will prove a success in the Premier League.

“I think he is a player good for the Premier League,” Pirlo tells the Daily Mail. “He is dynamic runner and intense. I think he is a player that can adapt really well there.”

Often, players swapping Italy for England have struggled with the increase in physicality. Joshua Zirkzee, United’s misfiring striker, is a perfect example of this issue with adaptation.

The fact that a midfielder with the expertise and reputation of an all-time great like Pirlo is confident Ederson will not fall foul of the same fate is an exciting prediction for the Brazilian’s time at Old Trafford.

Featured image by Simone Arveda/Getty Images

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