United’s first summer signing arriving at breakneck speed, price much better than was rumoured – report

Manchester United have begun the hunt for midfield reinforcements in earnest with numerous reports circulating today. The club’s focus appears to be on finalising a deal for Atalanta midfield dynamo Ederson. The Brazilian excels as a deep-lying playmaker as well as a box-to-box midfielder, and the Red Devils could do with a versatile presence like the 26-year-old. Initial reports suggested that the fee would be around an initial £42 million plus add-ons. However, journalist Eduardo Burgos has now claimed that the Old Trafford side could agree a deal for less. United could complete Ederson deal for less than previously reported Writing for Diario AS, he explained, “Manchester United have set their sights on Ederson and are prepared to offer Atalanta around €45 million plus add-ons for the Brazilian. “Atalanta would accept this offer, thus avoiding the risk of the Brazilian leaving for free at the end of next season, as his contract expires in June 2027.” Interestingly, the report further adds that United want to conclude the deal before the transfer window opens on 15 June. “It’s time for Ederson to play his final 90 minutes in Italy before saying goodbye and starting a new chapter. United want Ederson to become a Red Devil before the World Cup and sign a five-year contract.” Why Ederson? While fans might have expected a more high-profile signing in the mould of Elliot Anderson, the simple truth is that the Englishman seems to prefer Manchester City over the 20-time English league champions. As previously relayed by The Peoples Person, United view Ederson as more of a “category B” market opportunity rather than their primary midfield signing. This effectively means Ederson will be backup for United’s primary midfield signing, which as things stand, could be Sandro Tonali of Newcastle. Other targets include Carlos Baleba, Alex Scott, and Aurélien Tchouaméni. It will be intriguing to see how many midfielders INEOS end up securing and what they do with Manuel Ugarte once the window opens. Feature image Marco Luzzani 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25