Manchester United pulled the plug on a €45 million move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson, and Italian media are already pointing to a different target. The Premier League club informed Atalanta they were walking away from the transfer, which had been agreed back on June 2, after requesting more extensive medical tests that allegedly showed no real issues.
The deal was structured at €40.5 million guaranteed with another €4.5 million in bonuses. Both clubs waited for Ederson to finish the World Cup with Brazil before doing the full medical. An initial check in the U.S. was fine. But then Manchester United got cold feet and asked for deeper scans. After 48 hours of testing, they told Atalanta they were out.
Atalanta, according to reports from Italy, are adamant Ederson is healthy. They think it’s no coincidence United found a way out just as rumors about Roma’s Manu Kone started heating up. And they might have a point.
Two similar players, one roster spot
Ederson and Kone play essentially the same position. They’re both box-to-box midfielders who can break up play and push forward. Dropping around €100 million combined on two guys who do the same thing would be overkill even for United’s budget. So if they’re ditching Ederson, it pretty clearly opens the door for Kone.
Kone’s stock has jumped significantly during the World Cup. He’s been starting for France ahead of Aurelien Tchouameni, which isn’t nothing. That kind of exposure tends to inflate a player’s price tag fast, and Roma know it. United would likely have to offer something substantial to pry him away.
What this says about United’s transfer strategy
It’s not a great look to agree a deal, wait two months, then back out after extra medicals that the selling club insists passed clean. Whether Ederson has a hidden issue or United just used the medical as an excuse, the optics are messy. Atalanta aren’t happy about it, and other clubs will notice how this went down.
Meanwhile Ederson is stuck in limbo. He’s still under contract at Atalanta, but he thought he was heading to the Premier League. That kind of whiplash can mess with a player’s head. As for United, they’ll likely move fast on Kone now — before his World Cup buzz pushes his price even higher.
Neither club has officially confirmed the collapse of the Ederson deal. But the Italian press is treating it as done, and all signs point to Kone being the next name on United’s list.
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