Manchester United should go all out to sign Atalanta’s Ederson this summer to bolster their midfield options.
With Christian Eriksen departing this summer and Casemiro’s future up in the air, United will surely need at least one midfielder.
The club is currently prioritising its attack with deals for Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap being explored.
United will probably try to improve their midfield after some player sales and of course, winning the Europa League would also substantially add to the budget.
The Red Devils have been linked to young midfielders like Adam Wharton and Hayden Hackney but both deals have serious issues.
Wharton seems a fantastic talent but he is only 21 years old and would likely cost an obscene amount of money to prise him away from Crystal Palace.
Hayden Hackney at Middlesborough has also been seen as an option and while he would likely be significantly more affordable, at 22 years old he has never played above the Championship and would be a gamble.
There have even been reports that Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães could be on the menu. Nevertheless, a combination of price and whether the player would even be interested in the move makes a deal hard to fathom.
One player who United have been watching for some time seems to tick a lot more boxes. That player is Ederson of Atalanta.
It was reported earlier this week that United were ready to open discussions for him and The Peoples Person has previously relayed that the Red Devils lead their cross-city rivals Manchester City in the race for him.
United scouts were once again said to be in attendance to watch Ederson score a goal versus AC Milan last weekend.
A drawback of the deal is that they may only be able to afford or attract the player should they qualify for the Champions League, but he still has much in his favour. His price looks set at around €60 million, which perhaps could be in United’s price range with sales and European football to offer.
Ederson’s age of 25 years and experience in Italy and the Champions League is a perfect combination for United.
Were INEOS to sign the midfielder, they would be getting a player who is still yet to hit his prime but who has significant big game experience.
What’s more, he seems to have numerous attributes that Ruben Amorim looks for in his midfielders.
The Portuguese boss loves players who work hard and run all day and that is exactly what you get with Ederson.
He has been described as a midfielder who has “high intensity and a willingness to fight for every possession.”
Manuel Ugarte is a similar type of player and a midfield duo of these two South American warriors would make United capable of matching the intensity levels of almost any side.
This has been a big problem this season. Having to play stars who have lost a yard of pace, such as Eriksen and Casemiro, has been costly at times, for example, when United were blown away 1-4 by Newcastle earlier this month.
“Ederson is a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder who excels in high-tempo, aggressive systems. He is known for his physicality, tactical intelligence, and versatility.”
The Brazil international is much more than a destroyer, however.
He has an ability to link play between defence and attack and while not being the world’s greatest playmaker, he is certainly a more accomplished passer than Ugarte. Another key factor is that Ederson is a strong ball carrier, something that this United team sorely lacks.
The additions of Cunha in a number 10 role and Ederson in midfield would do wonders for Amorim’s side in terms of ball carrying. A further positive is the midfielder already has experience playing a 3-4-3 formation with Atalanta and started in a midfield duo with Marten de Roon in their recent 1-0 win at the San Siro.
Finally, Ederson can also be a bit of a goal threat due to making late runs into the box and this is something that Amorim will encourage his midfielders to do. This was on show when Ugarte got on the end of Alejandro Garnacho’s cut back to give United the lead against Olympique Lyonnais last Thursday.
If the stars align, particularly if Amorim’s side win the Europa League, Ederson could be the man to transform United’s midfield.
Featured image Francesco Scaccianoce via Getty Images
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
