Manchester United finished the 2025/26 Premier League season on a high note and will be hoping to maintain that momentum ahead of what is expected to be a key summer transfer window. United have focused on strengthening their attack and defense over the past two years, but the focus is expected to shift to midfield from now on.
Several additions are expected to arrive, especially with Casemiro leaving the club after his farewell at Old Trafford. Recruiting a replacement for the Brazilian will not be easy, but United may already have their sights set on the ideal replacement for the Brazilian. And it’s all at a reasonable price.
Express Sport takes a closer look at United’s first signing.
Ederson has emerged as a likely target for the Red Devils, who have made signing the combative central midfielder a top transfer priority. The 26-year-old Atalanta star has been in the spotlight in Serie A this season, helping his side to a seventh-place finish in the league.
The Italian club reportedly values him at around £38.3m, a figure United are said to be prepared to meet. Not only has the player reached a verbal agreement with Michael Carrick’s side, but it is also understood that he has “paused” transfer talks with rival clubs in order to push ahead with a move to Manchester.
Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino recently provided an update on Ederson’s future after he was named as an unused substitute against Fiorentina on Friday night.
“Ederson leaving? Something is happening in the transfer market, so it was a decision that we agreed with the boy,” Paladino said.
“The fact that a player like that is followed by such a big club should be a source of pride.”
Ederson isn’t the only central midfielder United are eyeing, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson also a firm target. However, with Forest expected to demand more than £100m for the England international and Manchester City also monitoring his situation, any deal is likely to be expensive and difficult to complete.
For those unfamiliar with him, Ederson is primarily a ball-winning midfielder, but has the athleticism and technical ability to work in a box-to-box capacity as well.
He reads the game very well and consistently records impressive tackle and recovery statistics by intervening and stopping opponents’ transitions before they can properly develop.
His tireless work rate and strong physique make him a formidable presence in midfield confrontations, while he is instinctive as soon as he wins the ball back, almost always darting forward to provoke an attack.
Many pundits liken Ederson to Arsenal’s Declan Rice, while others note shades of both Casemiro and former United favorite Ander Herrera. Either way, signing a player of Ederson’s caliber, especially at such a reasonable price, would be a great opening statement for Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
