Manchester United hold firm interest in Atalanta star Ederson, setting up a potential transfer battle with rivals Manchester City.
Ederson has established himself as a top performer for Atalanta since joining the Italian outfit from Salernitana in July 2022. The Brazilian is versatile as he can operate as a defensive midfielder, traditional box-to-box midfielder or further forward in the No 10 role.
Ederson played a key role in Atalanta winning the Europa League last season, as they beat Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in the process.
He was expected to leave them in the summer, but no transfer materialised. However, Ederson is gearing up for a big-money switch in January or summer 2025 as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Teun Koopmeiners and swap Atalanta for a truly elite club.
According to German reporter Florian Plettenberg, Man Utd are ‘seriously considering’ a move for Ederson to strengthen their midfield.
Man Utd are planning to enter ‘concrete negotiations’ for the 25-year-old in the near future. However, the Red Devils must clear one obstacle before this process can begin.
Plettenberg states that some members of the United board still need to give the transfer the green light. Once this happens, a bid can be launched.
United have ‘gathered all the necessary information’ on Ederson and have ‘scouted him multiple times’.
United, along with the player’s other suitors, have been told that Atalanta want €50-60million (up to £49.8m / $62.3m) before selling him.
United swooping for Ederson could see them enter a bidding war with City. Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Ederson is City’s top target to improve their midfield in January, even if Newcastle United ace Bruno Guimaraes is Pep Guardiola’s ‘dream’ signing for the position.
TEAMtalk transfer insider Rudy Galetti revealed in November that United and City are preparing to do battle over Ederson’s potential capture.
Ederson moving to Old Trafford would help United boss Ruben Amorim move on from the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Ederson could provide competition and cover for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes, thanks to his impressive versatility.
Should City miss out on the star to United, then they will be forced to ramp up their interest in other midfielders. TEAMtalk understands the Citizens are also eyeing Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.
DON’T MISS – Marcus Rashford replacement: 11 options Man Utd could sign as upgrade on faltering star
Man Utd transfers: Rashford verdict; Inter approach
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has been sent a transfer warning after revealing his desire to leave United for a ‘new challenge’.
Former manager Sam Allardyce has told Rashford he ‘won’t do better than Manchester United’.
Allardyce thinks United will push to sell the forward as they ‘could do with the money’.
Rashford’s sale would give the club extra funds as they look to solve the left wing-back conundrum.
Reports in Italy claim United have made contact for Inter Milan star Federico Dimarco.
However, United will struggle to land Dimarco. He has snubbed their advances as he is a lifelong Inter fan and is hoping to extend his contract there.
Instead, Amorim’s side could move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes as he is stalling in contract talks.
READ MORE: Gary Neville destroys ‘wimpish’ Man Utd star after Carabao Cup exit as Amorim suffers another big injury blow
Who is Atalanta’s Ederson?
By Samuel Bannister
No, he isn’t the Manchester City goalkeeper. Ederson of Atalanta has been making his own name over the past couple of years with his rise to prominence in Italian football.
It took a long time for Ederson to settle at a club as he embarked on a winding road to where he is now, but he has since established himself as a key player for a side regularly challenging in the European places and earned his senior Brazil debut in the summer of 2024.
Starting out at Desportivo Brasil and also having a brief spell in China with Shandong Luneng as an academy player, Ederson earned a move to Cruzeiro in 2018 and got more chances than expected, standing out as one of their best players in the 2019 Serie A campaign even though it ended in relegation.
A dispute between player and club followed, with Ederson ultimately allowed to join Corinthians. He later had a loan spell with Fortaleza, whom he helped qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
But he would not get to represent them in it, as he moved to Italy with Salernitana in January 2022 and stood out for a side who narrowly avoided relegation. Within just six months, he had shown enough that he was above Salernitana’s level, and Atalanta bought him.
Since then, Ederson has found stability, even becoming a Europa League champion in 2024. A dynamic midfielder, Ederson is energetic and can influence the game from an attacking or defensive viewpoint.
Ederson is pretty much the full package as a midfielder, apart from goalscoring (although he did get seven last season). He can pass as efficiently as he can tackle or intercept, making him perfect for playing on the transition.
In terms of his role, the right-footer can operate as a holding midfielder or as part of a pairing in the middle of the park. He did play further forward for Atalanta at first, but has fared much better with a slightly deeper deployment. However he is instructed to operate, Ederson works like a machine and wins duels galore.
Ederson could well be a manager’s dream and it might not be long before clubs are battling to take him out of Bergamo.
Related News :