Manchester United are close to reaching a full agreement for Michael Carrick’s first signing, with talks over a fee to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson at the final stages, according to Sky Sports.
Man United are wasting no time in their bid to strengthen the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with new players needed to boost a squad that will be wanting to fight strongly on two fronts in the 2026-27 campaign, as well as in the domestic cup competitions.
With the start of the World Cup a fortnight away, the Red Devils appear to be taking their opportunity to wrap up some transfer business early, given some of their transfer targets are likely to be taking part in the tournament in North America.
Ederson missed out on a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad, which will be a positive for United as it means he can join up with them for the start of pre-season should a deal go ahead.
The Red Devils’ recruitment team have identified central midfield as a key position for months, with Casemiro’s summer exit being confirmed in January, and a general shortage of quality and depth in that area.
Man United Agreement for Ederson Broken Down
According to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, posting on X, Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Atalanta to sign Ederson.
The ‘world-class’ Brazilian has already agreed terms on a five-year contract, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, with a club-to-club agreement now on the verge of being reached.
According to Sky Sports, the deal will be worth around €44m (£38m), with the deal being broken down to €40.5m guaranteed for the Serie A outfit, and a further €3.5m in add-ons.
The outlet add that a full agreement could be reached by the end of the week, which is just over 24 hours away.
Man United Chasing Other Midfield Transfers
While United work on a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, a report from Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb at the weekend suggested they are also close to an agreement to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Calciomercato had reported previously that Carrick wanted the Italy international to be his first signing at Old Trafford ahead of Ederson, showing how keen he is on a deal.
Negotiations with Newcastle are likely to be more difficult though, with the Magpies said to value the 26-year-old at €100m (£86m), which is a significantly higher fee than Ederson’s.
Still, the Red Devils are ready to put big money behind the right Casemiro replacement, so we can’t rule out a big-money Tonali deal in the coming weeks.
United continue to look at other midfield options too, with Manuel Ugarte potentially joining Casemiro through the Old Trafford exit door, with Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United and Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Hove Albion two more Premier League-based targets.
As with Ederson, the Red Devils are exploring opportunities from abroad too, with Real Madrid duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde both linked in recent weeks, having been involved in a big behind-scenes bust-up on the training pitch.
