Manchester United could make Atalanta midfielder Ederson their first signing since Michael Carrick was confirmed as permanent head coach, with the Brazilian expected to arrive for about £35m. If the deal goes through, he would become the club’s 19th central midfield signing since they bought Carrick from Tottenham in 2006.
The move would take United’s spending on central midfielders alone to almost £580m, a striking figure even by the standards of a club still trying to rebuild the spine of its side. The transfer is anticipated to be completed pretty soon, and it would land at a time when the squad is short on certainty in the middle of the pitch.
Casemiro has already left United as his contract is due to expire on 30 June, and Manuel Ugarte was only an unused substitute in the final-day win at Brighton. Ugarte has not played a minute since starting the home defeat by Leeds on 13 April, leaving Kobbie Mainoo as the only other experienced central midfielder in the squad. Jack and Tyler Fletcher made their debuts this season, while Jacob Devaney impressed on loan at St Mirren over the second half of the campaign.
That shortage explains why midfield remains the clear priority this summer. United have already made soundings about several alternatives, with Elliot Anderson regarded as the first choice, even if Manchester City are seen as his most likely destination. United have also indicated they are not willing to pay around £120m for Anderson, after backing away from Carlos Baleba when a fee above £100m was mentioned last summer.
Other names linked with the club include Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Alex Scott, Tyler Adams, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. West Ham are expected to have to sell players this summer following relegation to the Championship, a factor that could widen the market further as United weigh how far to go.
The timing matters because United’s pre-season begins against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July, leaving little room for hesitation. If Ederson is the player they settle on, it would be another expensive bet on a position that has already cost the club heavily for years, and one made while the rest of the midfield market keeps moving around them.
