United prepared to seal £39m deal after securing CL football, Wilcox really likes the player – report

Atalanta midfield dynamo Ederson is starting to emerge as a strong candidate to replace Casemiro at Manchester United.  Late in April, The Guardian reported that United have identified Ederson as a potential recruit to “fill the gap left by Casemiro’s summer departure.” United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, is thought to be an admirer of the combative Brazilian, known for his strong tackles and pressing. A report in Italy now suggests the Red Devils are prepared to ramp up their pursuit. Manchester United are pushing to sign Ederson According to TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), Juventus are keeping a close eye on Ederson, but it is Manchester United who are “pushing hard” to secure the Atalanta star’s services.  Atletico Madrid have already reached a broad agreement with the 26-year-old midfielder over personal terms. However, the La Liga giants are not willing to meet the Serie A side’s asking price, with their current proposal standing at €35 million. It is claimed Atalanta would prefer to sell Ederson to United, as they are prepared to fork out as much as €45m (£38.9m). Their financial situation has strengthened following qualification for next season’s Champions League. A separate report suggests United are also willing to offer a more lucrative contract than Atletico to lure him to Old Trafford. Wilcox should avoid repeating previous transfer blunder Wilcox appears to be a massive fan of Ederson. However, his profile is not too dissimilar to Manuel Ugarte, who was also desperately chased by Wilcox and eventually convinced to leave Paris Saint-Germain for United. Ederson Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Serie A28241-3-2,055′ UEFA Champions League99111-724′ Italy Cup22—-210′ Total3935214-2,989′ Akin to Ugarte, Ederson is not a technically secure midfielder with the ball at his feet, and their best work comes out of possession. The Brazil international is slightly more physical and athletic than the Uruguayan, but he is also unlikely to help the Red Devils dictate the tempo of play. As such, INEOS should be wary of spending a significant figure on a midfielder with limited skill sets.  Featured image Francesco Scaccianoce via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!