Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is already moving quickly behind the scenes ahead of a crucial summer transfer window.
The club want at least two new midfielders after confirming Casemiro’s departure, while uncertainty also continues surrounding Manuel Ugarte’s future.
Several names remain under consideration inside Old Trafford. However, one player appeared to move significantly closer to Manchester United during recent days.
Atalanta midfielder Ederson reportedly gave full priority to joining the Red Devils despite interest from several other clubs across Europe.
United quickly responded by agreeing personal terms with the Brazilian on a five-year contract.
Reports in Italy also claimed the club verbally offered around €45 million to Atalanta, matching the lower end of the Serie A side’s asking price.
Manchester United even reportedly sent a delegation to Italy to advance discussions surrounding the midfielder.
Everything initially pointed towards Ederson becoming one of United’s first summer signings. But now, fresh developments suggest the deal is still far from complete.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United themselves could still decide to walk away from the transfer despite the progress already made.
United still have several midfield targets under consideration and have not fully decided whether Ederson is the player they want to prioritise.
Dream targets like Elliot Anderson and Aurelien Tchouameni remain admired internally despite both deals appearing extremely difficult at this stage.
That uncertainty means Manchester United have not yet given final approval to complete the Ederson transfer. Romano also revealed another important complication.
Atalanta are currently undergoing major changes behind the scenes involving both managerial and sporting director positions.
Maurizio Sarri is expected to become the club’s new manager, while further structural changes continue happening internally.
Because of that instability, official negotiations between both clubs have not fully accelerated yet. For now, Ederson reportedly remains willing to wait for Manchester United’s final decision.
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