Man Utd prepare onslaught for ‘out of this world’ midfielder who’s now available at half price

Manchester United have reportedly revived their interest in Atalanta midfielder Ederson, whose price tag has dramatically dropped.Due to his physical and technical attributes, the Brazilian is considered one of the most complete midfielders in Serie A.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYOver the past few seasons, Man Utd have been constantly linked with Ederson, who was once hailed by Fabio Capello as an ‘out of this world player. Fabio Capello has praised Atalanta midfielder Ederson in today’s Gazzetta dello Sport: “He is out of this world for his ability to combine running, physicality, technique and intelligence”. pic.twitter.com/qXkIfZOUiO — Atalanta BC News (@AtalantaBC_News) December 7, 2024Man Utd ready to seize the opportunity to sign Ederson on cut-price dealWhile links proved futile, with the 26-year-old continuing to play his trade in Bergamo, this could be the ideal time for the Red Devils to make their move.United will part ways with their main midfield enforcer, Casemiro, whose departure will leave a major gap in the middle of the park.Moreover, Ederson’s contract will expire in June 2027, so next summer should be Atalanta’s last chance to cash in on the player while receiving a decent transfer fee.According to TuttoMercatWeb, Man Utd have taken heed of the golden opportunity, and they’re now preparing a summer onslaught for the Brazilian star.While the player’s asking price was €60m-€70m last summer, the Italian portal believes that Atalanta will consider bids starting from €30 million (£26m) this summer due to the midfielder’s aforementioned contract situation.However, the source warns Man Utd of competition coming from Atletico Madrid, who have also been chasing Ederson for quite some time.The Spanish capital side also shares a good rapport with Atalanta, having traded the services of Ademola Lookman and Giacomo Raspadori in two separate January deals.Why Ederson can be the ideal solution for Man UnitedSince the start of the season, Man Utd have been monitoring some of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League, mainly Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Carlos Babela, and Sandro Tonali.However, each of these four EPL stars could command a transfer fee in the region of £100 million. And since MUFC need to recruit at least two new midfielders in the summer, they’re unlikely to sign two of them.Therefore, INEOS are keeping tabs on more affordable options, and Ederson could be considered a transfer bargain now that his asking price has dropped 50%.Based on his stats, Ederson isn’t necessarily a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro, as the veteran’s numbers are of a genuine holding midfielder, while the younger Brazilian tends to push forward and support the attacks, like a proper box-to-box midfielder. Percentiles in 25/26 Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes Ederson 39.3 73.7 65.2 85.9 86.1 52.6 77.2 1694 Casemiro 76.1 99.6 10.4 91.1 35.0 46.7 87.6 2123 Kobbie Mainoo 16.1 23.3 75.0 61.1 90.2 76.5 25.7 1104 (Stats via DataMB)Nevertheless, Ederson’s numbers suggest that he has very few weaknesses in his game and that he’s capable of filling various roles, depending on the identity of his midfield partners.