Manchester United are weighing up a January move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson but face competition from cross-town rivals Manchester City.
Ederson has been for fantastic for Atalanta since joining from Salernitana in 2022. The 25-year-old is a key player for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side and caught the eye with his dazzling displays in the middle of the park last season, helping Atalanta lift the Europa League.
Multiple clubs across Europe are vying for the La Dea star, who was drafted into the Brazil squad for the 2024 Copa America. Manchester United are reportedly set to battle Manchester City for the signing of Ederson as both clubs look to add numbers in the middle of the park.
Ederson wanted by the Mancunian clubs
Ruben Amorim signed a two-and-a-half-year deal earlier this month to replace Erik ten Hag as the new Manchester United head coach. The 39-year-old, who has arrived at Old Trafford after four years with Sporting CP, wants to reinforce a couple of areas in the January transfer window. And one of those positions is the midfield.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are on the other side of 30, and with the Red Devils planning to release the latter once his contract expires in June, they would need a player replace the experienced Dane.
Ederson would be a solid potential replacement for Eriksen; composed passer, strong in the air and tenacious in the challenge, the South American would bring a lot of quality on and off the ball to Man United’s midfield under Amorim. The 25-year-old can operate in multiple midfield role and would be a good option to compete with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte.
As for Man City, Pep Guardiola is desperately searching for injured Rodri’s replacement having lost his fifth match in a row across all competitions. With the Spanish international ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL in September, the Sky Blues have found it difficult to continue their dominance.
In order to cope with Rodri’s absence and also strengthen their first-team for the long run, City are planning to bring in Ederson. The Brazilian’s ability to build attacks, control the tempo of games and break up opposition’s advances in the final third make him a perfect fit in Guardiola’s system.
Having proven himself in Serie A, Ederson would find it tough to say no to Man City if they come calling for his signature in the winter transfer window. However, Atalanta are not exactly keen on selling their star midfielder and will demand upwards of €60m if any club makes an approach in the New Year.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
