United have made it a priority to strengthen Michael Carrick’s midfield this summer. According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Tonali could soon head to Old Trafford.
Casemiro is set to leave Old Trafford, with the Reds already admitting defeat in their bid to sign Elliott Anderson this summer. However, the club have moved forward with their long-standing bid to sign Ederson from Atalanta. The midfielder was left out of last weekend’s final Serie A match of the season to protect him from injury amid growing interest from United.
United are thought to be inching closer to signing the 26-year-old in a package worth up to £38m. Ederson is not expected to be a direct replacement for Casemiro, but is confident he is a player who can quickly adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
Ederson will overtake Manuel Ugarte and take his place in the pecking order. A transfer is now possible for the former PSG ace. However, United want to give him further depth and their midfield ambitions do not end there, with the club keen to sign him in this position.
Speaking earlier this year, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe claimed the Magpies had not been exposed as much as when they sold Issac to Liverpool.
“Obviously we didn’t have a sporting director in the summer and that had a big impact on the way we worked in terms of dealing with agencies and dealing with that situation,” Howe said.
“We were in a weaker position than we are now. Ross (Wilson) has filled that position and provided really good leadership in dealing with transfers and everything that comes with that. We are now in a stronger position to navigate that waters in a calmer and clearer way.”
