Manchester United are now ‘very close’ to an agreement to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with Fabrizio Romano revealing the latest on the transfer.

Man United are wasting no time in their bid to strengthen their squad for next season after sealing their return to the Champions League for the first time in three years, despite the fact the transfer window doesn’t officially open until June 15.

The last time the Red Devils were in Europe’s elite club competition, in the old format, they were knocked out in the group stages, and they will want to avoid that happening again next term.

Of course, alongside the Champions League, Carrick and his side will also want to build on their impressive third-place finish in the Premier League, where they finished the best of the rest behind Manchester City and Arsenal.

To do that with the extra fixture congestion, United will need to add new players to their squad, potentially across multiple positions.

INEOS have identified central midfield as a key priority to bolster, and if the Ederson deal does go through, the Brazilian is unlikely to be the last arrival in that position during the summer transfer window.

Romano: Man Utd ‘Very, Very Close’ to Total Ederson Ageement

One report from the Times on Wednesday suggested that United had agreed a £38m deal with Atalanta to sign Ederson, but Romano claims that a deal isn’t quite there yet, although they are on the brink of reaching an agreement with the Serie A outfit.

Issuing the latest update on the ‘world-class’ talent on his YouTube channel, the Italian journalist said:

“So the agreement, Manchester United with Ederson is done. The player said yes to Man United. The contract is ready, it’s a five-year deal.”

Despite other clubs attempting to hijack a deal, Romano has revealed that the 26-year-old has made his feelings clear.

He added: [Ederson is saying] “I wait for United now. United are close to completing the agreement with Atalanta for 45 million euros. Payment terms are being discussed, installments, and all the rest, but Ederson is very, very, very close to becoming a new Manchester United player.

“What’s needed is Man United final approval. Man United have been working on this deal for weeks, but he’s among several targets they have.”

Who Are Man United’s Other Top Midfield Targets?

It appears unlikely that Ederson would be the top-class Casemiro replacement United are searching for, but that player could be Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

Reports in Italy in recent days have suggested that Carrick actually asked the club to sign the Italy international before they got Ederson, such is his determination to land the Magpies midfielder this summer.

A separate report in Italy suggests the Red Devils are close to an agreement for the 26-year-old too, who looks to have emerged as a top target.

Romano has also confirmed that Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni is their ‘dream’ midfield target, although it’s unclear if he will be allowed to leave the Bernabeu despite his high-profile bust-up with teammate Federico Valverde, mentioned as another United target.

Carrick’s number one target is Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, but the England star is looking more likely to join Manchester City instead.

The other name that has emerged in recent weeks is Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United, who looks set to leave the London Stadium following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

A fascinating thread has emerged explaining why Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League victory is bad news for four English clubs in particular.

Crystal Palace took on Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on Wednesday evening at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

Oliver Glasner was looking to end his stint at the south London club on a high and that’s what he did as his side triumphed 1-0.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game in the 50th minute as Palace won just the second major trophy in their history and their first European title.

Four English Clubs Impacted By Palace’s Victory

Palace’s triumph has impacted how next season’s Carabao Cup will operate, with four English clubs affected, as explained by BBC Sport rules expert Dale Johnson.

Palace were due to enter next season’s competition in the second round after finishing 15th in the Premier League. However, their victory, which has seen them qualify for next season’s Europa League, means they will now enter in the third round, alongside the other eight English clubs that will compete in Europe.

To ensure there are 23 teams that qualify for the third round of the Carabao Cup, Crawley Town, Rochdale, Tranmere Rovers and York City must now play a preliminary round. These matches will take place a week before the first round.

Because the first and second rounds are regionalised, two of these sides must be placed in the southern half and two in the north.

However, this could cause an issue. Crawley are in the south, while the other three teams are based in the north of England.

Tranmere, based in Merseyside, are the most southern team of the trio, but their position close to the west coast does not make it more accessible than Rochdale or York to most.

Johnson theorises that the EFL could now hold an open draw to see which of Tranmere, Rochdale and York play Crawley – and thus must feed into the southern section of the draw.

The whole scenario is set to cause serious logistical problems with some teams having to travel great distances for their matches.

Dean Henderson Pays Tribute to Oliver Glasner

Palace captain Dean Henderson was full of praise for Glasner after their triumph. He said, per Palace’s official website: “There’s a mixture of emotions,” Henderson added. “It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders, obviously, because you want to deliver when you’re under pressure. I had no doubt that the boys would do that today.

“I felt that we missed a few chances, but thankfully it went our way. The best team deserved to win and I think we were on the night. We’ve got back what we deserved from last season. It’s a fairytale.

“The manager has been incredible. He deserves his send-off and I think this is how it should have ended. I’m so happy for him as well.”

Reports are coming in that a veteran Formula 1 driver is considering an early departure from his team after receiving interest from several rivals.

The 2026 F1 season is well and truly underway, and despite the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix, it has been a huge success. As we head into round six, the Monaco Grand Prix, we can see it has been a standout season for Mercedes so far. Relative newcomer Kimi Antonelli has outperformed all expectations, leading the standings alongside teammate George Russell.

Ferrari are also having a good season, with Lewis Hamilton performing consistently well alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. The middle of the table is characteristically chaotic, with Alpine, Racing Bulls, Red Bull, and Haas vying for a competitive spot.

One team that is struggling to find the results it needs, however, is Cadillac, rivalled only by Aston Martin at the bottom of the table. The Cadillac project is clearly one that will play out over a number of years, and their struggles so far this season were expected.

Driver Eyeing Move After Recent Struggles

However, according to Dutch F1 journalist Jacky Martins, it will be ‘very hard’ for the team to hold on to veteran driver and star signing Sergio Perez, who is reportedly receiving interest from multiple teams, and would take the opportunity to pivot into a team higher up the standings if given the chance.

“I know there is interest from some teams,” Martens said on the Paddock Access podcast. “More than one. Cadillac would love to keep him, but it’s going to be very hard to keep him.

The Mexican racing driver joined the team alongside fellow veteran Valtteri Bottas. Cadillac has had a slow start to the season, with Perez yet to finish a race higher than 16th place. Most recently, at the Canadian Grand Prix, he was forced to retire due to a suspension failure, with Bottas finishing in 16th place.

Cadillac brought their drivers back to Formula One after losing their seats on rival teams. They are clearly in the building stage, and will be using this year to gather valuable intelligence about their car and competition. However, at 36, it is unlikely Perez will see the results, instead settling for being lapped five times this year. It seems likely that the former Red Bull driver will soon depart from his comeback team.

Simultaneously, rumours have circulated over the last week that Cadillac might make the decision to drop Bottas. The natural replacement seems to be reserve driver Colton Hera, but both seats at Cadillac seem to be in flux at the moment, and it feels likely that we will see a change very soon.