The deal that was supposed to send Atalanta midfielder Ederson to Manchester United for £35 million is dead. And the man running the Italian club still sounds like he can’t quite believe it.
Atalanta director Cristiano Giuntoli told reporters this week the club was left stunned when United pulled the plug. Fitness flags popped up during Ederson’s medical, centered on the 27-year-old’s meniscus injury from last season. The Red Devils got cold feet, sent him back to Bergamo, and the whole thing unravelled.
“We were stunned,” Giuntoli said. “Now we are working on a new contract for him.”
That’s a quick pivot. Ederson’s current deal runs through 2027, and Atalanta would rather not let him walk for free down the line. So they’re putting a longer offer on the table. Whether he signs it is a different question.
Meniscus tears aren’t career-enders, but they’re tricky. They can linger, affect stability, cause chronic issues. United has been burned before on similar risks. Remember Rasmus Hojlund? They signed him from the same Serie A club and then discovered a back problem that kept him from playing early on. This time, INEOS wasn’t taking the same gamble.
So United walked. Now what?
Ederson’s agent will have options. AC Milan and Newcastle have both been linked. There’s even chatter that United might come back to the table if they can renegotiate terms with Atalanta and get comfortable with the medical picture. But that would require starting over from square one.
If Ederson wants a move, he’d be smart not to sign that extension. Locking himself into a new deal with Atalanta would make it harder for another club to pry him loose. But if he stays and plays well, the summer market opens up again in a year.
Giuntoli made it clear the club wants to keep him. But in football, wanting and getting are two different things. Ederson has the leverage here. He just has to decide what he wants more, stability or a chance to see what else is out there.
United, meanwhile, will keep looking. They need midfield help and aren’t likely to stop with one failed medical.
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