Why United went hell for leather to land 35m “out of this world” maestro now explained – opinion

Manchester United have agreed their first signing of the summer. Both David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano have confirmed that the Red Devils have agreed an initial £35 million deal for the Brazilian. Atalanta will be due another £3.8 million in add-ons should the midfield maestro tick all the boxes during his four-year stay. The 20-time English league champions have the option of extending the Brazil international’s stay for another year, should he impress. Ederson expected to be United’s first summer signing A medical and an announcement is likely in early July. Now with all that out of the way, just what can fans expect from the 26-year-old? It is well known that the Old Trafford side are looking to bring in a successor for the departing Casemiro. Can his compatriot fill the void? For starters, he is much more mobile than the 34-year-old. Ederson’s engine and non-stop pressing were key factors which made Gian Piero Gasperini love him so much. During Atalanta’s Europa League-winning run, Ederson ranked in the 96th percentile for recoveries and in the 98th percentile for interceptions. Why Wilcox was a fan This clearly shows how proactive the Brazilian is without the ball, while also showcasing his relentless energy and intelligence.. He is no slouch with the ball as well, as his new coach will attest to. Since Gasperini’s departure, the former Salernitana ace has had to adapt his game, but as seen from his 3,169 minutes played this season, both Ivan Juric and Raffaele Palladino were clearly fans. He ranked in the 92nd percentile for long balls, and is a high-volume passer, something that will help United keep possession (all stats via sofascore). His intelligence combined with his drive saw former England manager Fabio Capello call him “out of this world“. His availability is another green flag, with the midfield dynamo missing only 10 games in four seasons at the New Balance Arena. Ederson will fit in nicely alongside Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes What he will not bring is creativity from deep and Casemiro’s aerial ability from set-pieces. I’m sure INEOS were already aware of this when choosing to bring him in. Ederson will complement a midfield combo of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes with his engine, but he is unlikely to be the exact replacement for Casemiro. He can play the defensive midfield role, but he is best as a box-to-box presence who can crash into the box to score vital goals, as seen from his three strikes this season. Fans should be happy that INEOS have got business done nice and early, especially considering the interest the player was generating. Still, United will need two more signings to completely revamp the midfield. 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