Manchester United look set to confirm the signing of Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta.
According to reports, the two clubs have agreed a £35million move, with Ederson set to sign a four-year deal at Old Trafford. It would mark the first signing of the official Michael Carrick era, as Man Utd look to take another step in the right direction.
Man Utd need to bolster their midfield this season with Casemiro leaving, and doubts surrounding Manuel Ugarte. Carrick’s arrival has also seen Bruno Fernandes return to his No.10 role, so depth is short at the back.
Which is why Man Utd have gone for Ederson.
Why are Man Utd signing Ederson?
BOYLE Sports offer: Bet £10 Get £40 in free bets
Not signed up to BOYLE Sports yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...
- Sign up to BOYLE Sports using this link.
- Deposit a minimum of £10 (Excluding Skrill/Moneybookers, Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe or prepaid cards).
- Place a minimum bet of £10 or more at odds of EVS (2.0) or greater.
- Receive your £40 in free bets
18+ New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&Cs Apply
Where does Ederson play?
In terms of position, Ederson is exactly what Man Utd needs. He mainly plays centrally in a two-man midfield. Sometimes it’s a bit more advanced, but the role remains the same. Protect the defence and provide the link between the backline and the attack.
His heatmap from the Champions League in 2025-26 shows that Ederson spends very little time in the attacking third and is busiest just inside his own half. But that doesn’t mean he only stays in his own half. Ederson covers a lot of ground in the entirety of the middle third, sticking to his left-sided role in Atalanta’s midfield. This is a disciplined midfielder.
What is Ederson’s style of play?
Strengths
Ederson has pretty much all you want for a double pivot. The Brazilian is a good protector, averaging 2.38 tackles per 90 minutes in Serie A last season. While that was 31st in the league among those with at least 50% of minutes played, only Casemiro (3.13) averaged more tackles per 90 in the Premier League among Man Utd players. He also averaged 2.5 possessions won in the middle third and the defensive third. And he only averaged 0.77 challenges lost per 90, so can be counted on in winning the ball back.
In terms of interceptions, Ederson averaged 1.13 per 90 in Serie A in 2025-26 which, again, isn’t too high. But he wasn’t the key interceptor for Atalanta given the way they play. Giorgio Scalvini led La Dea with 2.13 interceptions per 90, with Berat Djimsiti (1.53) and Isak Hien (1.33) also ahead of Ederson. It’s a similar case for Man Utd. Leny Yoro (1.6) and Luke Shaw (1.28) led their interceptions per 90, but Ederson does sit slightly ahead of Casemiro’s 1.08.
But what does Ederson do when he’s won the ball back? The Brazilian isn’t afraid to be in control of possession. He wasn’t Atalanta’s man main on the ball, with Scalvini (77.37), Marten de Roon (76.32), Mario Pasalic (75.98) and Berat Djimsiti (70.27) all averaging more touches of the ball per 90 in Serie A. Ederson still averaged 69.58 touches per 90. He was still being trusted on the ball, while his main focus was more defensive.
Ederson is reliable on the ball, completing 89.21% of his passes, at 47.92 per 90. Only 12.24 of those completed passes per 90 were final third passes, but again that comes down to his role in the team. It wasn’t Ederson’s job to make those defence-splitting passes. On the ball, Ederson was always about keeping his side in possession and passing the ball on to those who can make things happen.
BetMGM sign-up offer: Get £40 in bonuses when you bet £10
Not signed up to BetMGM yet? Here's how eligible readers* can take advantage of their welcome offer:
- Open an account at BetMGM using this link.
- Select the Sports Welcome Offer.
- Get the offer from the ‘My Offers’ page.
- Deposit and place a £10 bet at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater.
- When it settles, unlock £40 in bonuses
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ GambleAware.org
Weaknesses
Ederson’s biggest weaknesses statistically are his attacking numbers. But it’s less of a weakness and more that it just isn’t his job. And it wouldn’t be his job at Man Utd. Ederson only averaged 1.01 chances created per 90 in Serie A, with 0.12 of those being big chances, and recorded one assist.
He also wouldn’t replace Casemiro’s ability in getting clutch goals when it matters. Ederson scored just two goals in Serie A last season, averaging 1.41 shots per 90. His accuracy was poor too, with 0.44 on target per 90, posting 31.43% accuracy.
Ederson isn’t the best in the air, with an aerial duel success rate of just 41.51% in Serie A last season. That may be the biggest worry for Man Utd, especially given Mainoo’s lack of success in the air (38.46%). And even though Casemiro only averaged 51.35% success rate in aerial duels, it’s a lot better than having two midfielders who lose more than half of their aerial battles.
Where would Ederson fit in at Man Utd?
Ederson’s positioning at Man Utd would be obvious. He’d sit as part of the double pivot, just in front of the defence. It would allow Fernandes to remain in that No.10 role where he thrived, and is able to control the game more.
There may be a question over his potential partner. Ederson is actually a very similar player to Mainoo, and some fans may be wary of playing both alongside each other. It might put too much emphasis on the attacking players. But that shouldn’t be a bad thing. Man Utd spent a lot of money last summer bolstering their attack, adding gamechangers such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
The double pivot should be able to get involved in moving the ball forward. But there’s no need for Man Utd to rely on them creatively. It’s all about protecting a defence that conceded 50 goals in the league last season — the most in the top four.