Man Utd in advanced talks for “out of this world” £52m ace

One of the areas in the squad that Manchester United will need to strengthen this summer is in midfield. The Red Devils are set to lose Christian Eriksen at the end of the campaign, with the Dane hinting that he will depart the club back in March, explaining that the “collaboration will stop” between him and the 13-time Premier League champions.

Casemiro is another player who could be in line to depart Old Trafford. However, his performances in recent weeks have picked up, and he explained that “it’s too soon to talk about next season” in a recent interview.

The Red Devils have already been linked with new options in the centre of the park, including a move for one midfielder currently plying his trade in Serie A.

The Serie A midfielder United want to sign

It will certainly be interesting, to say the least, to see where Atalanta midfielder Ederson ends up at the end of the 2025 summer transfer window. The Brazilian has been constantly linked with a move away from the 2023/24 Europa League winners.

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Now, according to reports from Spain, United are one of the sides who are considering a move for the Brazilian this summer. They ‘have set their sights’ on bringing Ederson to Old Trafford over the 2025 summer window, with the view of strengthening in midfield.

However, they will not be the only club looking to add him to their squad. United’s East Mancunian rivals, Manchester City, are also targeting a move, with the pair ‘willing to enter into a fight to secure his services’. That said, the report claims that it is United who have moved ahead, as the ‘contacts with his entourage are advanced’.

Should a deal get over the line, he could cost a reported £52m if he were to depart Atlanta this summer.

How Ederson compares to Manuel Ugarte

For Ederson, it has been an impressive season under Italian boss Gian Piero Gasperini in Bergamo. The Brazilian has been a key part of his midfield, happy to sit at the base and do the dirty work off the ball.

Atalanta's Ademola Lookman celebrates scoring their third goal with Ederson and Matteo Ruggeri and completes his hat-trick

The 25-year-old has featured 43 times across all competitions this season, scoring four goals and grabbing two assists in that time, showing his merit in the opposition box.

One of those goals came in a 2-2 draw against Barcelona in the Champions League.

One of the reasons that Ederson’s transition to Old Trafford could well be seamless is the similarity in system. At Atalanta, Gasperini employs different versions of a back three, just as Ruben Amorim does at Old Trafford.

His job will be similar in both, despite the slight tweaks to the overall system. That is to say, he will be instructed to win the ball back and play it on to the likes of Bruno Fernandes, or get it out wide to the flying wingbacks.

That, in essence, is the job of Manuel Ugarte in the Red Devils lineup. He was signed last summer, although Ederson was an alternative, despite the fact that United never actually placed a bid for the Brazilian.

So far, the Uruguay international has made 37 appearances in that famous Red shirt, albeit with his only goal thus far a stunning volley against Everton to secure United a draw.

However, several key metrics, courtesy of Squawka, suggest Ederson would be an upgrade in midfield to the former Sporting CP star. For example, the Brazilian is better in possession, averaging 17.4 forward passes per game compared to 9.1 for the United number 25.

However, Ugarte does complete more ball recoveries each game, with 6.3 to Ederson’s 5.9.

Ederson vs. Ugarte key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Ederson	Ugarte
Open play passes completed	49.7	36.7
Forward passes	17.4	9.1
Fouls committed	1.1	2.1
Ground duel success rate	53.59%	52.88%
Ball recoveries	5.9	6.3
Stats from Squawka

As the numbers suggest, it seems like Ederson will be an upgrade on Ugarte in the centre of the park. He is more progressive and positive on the ball, whilst being just as effective a ball winner, if not more.

£52m is a lot of money for United to invest in their midfield for another summer, yet Ederson could well be worth that investment. It may well be a signing that strengthens Amoirm’s options in the middle of the midfield.