Ederson: Man United’s stance on Atalanta star’s transfer explained – Man United News And Transfer News
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In a twist that evokes the chaos of the Ed Woodward era, Manchester United’s move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson has suddenly been thrown into doubt after appearing all but certain just days ago.
Why is there doubt?
Having been a long-term target for the Red Devils, Ederson was expected to become the first signing under Michael Carrick after a deal worth up to £39 million was struck with Atalanta to sign the 27-year-old midfielder at the beginning of June.
A four-year contract, with the option for an additional twelve months, was agreed with the player’s representatives, leaving just a medical to be completed to finalise the transfer. However, there are understood to have been “concerns” over a potential knee injury raised during these tests, which required further examination.
However, Ederson then received a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup to replace AS Roma right-back Wesley. Carlo Ancelotti had opted to include Fabinho as his back-up to Casemiro over the Atalanta star, despite the 32-year-old plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League.
This delayed the move to Old Trafford, with the club planning to conduct a second medical once Ederson’s tournament in North America came to an end. A 2-1 defeat to Norway in the last sixteen, where the midfielder came off the bench with the game poised at 0-0, last Sunday gave a timeline for the deal to be ratified this week.
But in the build-up to the clash with Norway, rumours emanating from Ederson’s homeland claimed United were considering calling the move off. Club officials acted quickly to dispel this idea, relaying that everything remained in place.
These rumours now appear to have been valid, however, as reports have emerged in the last 24 hours that United had pulled the plug on the deal. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed it had “collapsed”, while Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio – an excellent Serie A source – alleged United had “informed Atalanta that they are not continuing.”
Is the deal off?
In another twist to an already turbulent tale, Manchester-based sources have countered these claims, stating the club have “firmly denied” these reports. United “do not currently consider the move to be off and have not terminated negotiations.”
Internal discussions are understood to be continuing “behind the scenes”, though the use of the word ‘currently’ does suggest a change of mind remains possible. The signing of Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos adds another layer of complexity to unpack, with the £50 million deal expected to be finalised imminently.
The speed with which United completed each stage of Santos’ transfer stands in direct contrast to the protracted pursuit of Ederson, even with the delay of the World Cup. An inside source claims INEOS believe the price for Santos represents excellent value in an inflated market.
AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone, currently on duty for France at the World Cup, has been linked as the “primary alternative” to Ederson. A report relayed by The Peoples Person states United are ready to make a £43 million offer to the Italian side as they close in on a deal. But the Manchester Evening News refutes this, revealing there is “currently no plan” to sign the 25-year-old.
Wolverhampton Wanderers enforcer Joao Gomes, yet another Brazilian, has also re-emerged as another option on the radar, though this is likely to be driven by his agents as an expected move to Atletico Madrid has stalled.
The leading candidate is understood to be AFC Bournemouth and England under-21 international, Alex Scott. United are weighing up whether to table an £80 million offer for the 22-year-old, but the Cherries are adamant he will not be leaving the Vitality Stadium this summer.
Final Thoughts
Finding a resolution to fix the stalling engine room is “becoming urgent” as the first team has now reported back for pre-season training. Carrick is said to want new signings “integrated into the squad as soon as possible before the team travels for summer tour of Scandinavia.”
Owing to Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, which is likely to rule him out until well into next year, the expectation is for three midfielders to be signed. This gives INEOS just under two weeks to complete moves for two more options, as a deal for Santos is already in the bag.
Having looked primed to become the first target to arrive this summer, Ederson is now not even the first Brazilian to put pen to paper on a deal at Old Trafford. Whether he will complete his long-awaited move remains to be seen, with reliable sources offering conflicting reports – which makes it likely not even United know if the transfer will go through now.
Feature image Marco Luzzani via Getty Images
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