Manchester United’s pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson was never actually in trouble. The club just had to wait for Brazil to get knocked out of the World Cup.
Reports over the weekend had fans panicking after rumors spread that the deal had fallen apart. Social media loves a good crisis, and the delay in an official announcement gave people plenty of material. But according to the Daily Mail, United sources have been clear from the start: the paperwork was always scheduled for early July.
The complication? Ederson got a surprise call-up to Brazil’s World Cup squad after an injury to Roma defender Wesley. That meant instead of flying to England to finish the transfer, the 26-year-old ended up in the United States with the national team. He turns 27 on Tuesday, and he might get to celebrate it as a Manchester United player.
The medical was the real holdup
Ederson did a basic preliminary medical check while he was abroad, but United’s staff wanted a full assessment at Carrington before signing off. That couldn’t happen while he was still technically competing in the World Cup.
The last obstacle disappeared on Sunday night when Brazil lost 2-1 to Norway in the Round of 16. Erling Haaland’s goal was the difference. So much for Brazil’s title hopes.
Now Ederson is expected to fly to Manchester in the coming days for the full medical, sign the remaining paperwork, and get introduced as Michael Carrick’s latest addition. The total package is £35 million guaranteed plus £3.8 million in add-ons. Atalanta already accepted the deal, and personal terms were agreed weeks ago.
This is a straightforward signing that got messy because of international duty timing. Nothing more, nothing less. United never panicked. The fans did that all on their own.
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