Manchester United Kills $45M Ederson Deal Over Knee Issue. Atalanta May Lock Him Up Instead.

Manchester United walked away from a $45 million transfer for Atalanta midfielder Ederson after the Brazilian didn’t pass the second round of medical tests in Manchester. The deal had been agreed between the clubs and the player for more than a month. But according to Gazzetta dello Sport, United’s medical staff had concerns about the condition of Ederson’s right knee and decided to pull the plug.

The 26-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right meniscus back in August of last year. That didn’t stop him from logging 3,169 minutes across all competitions last season. He played 30 matches in Serie A and nine more in the Champions League. Among Atalanta’s outfield players, he ranked fourth in minutes played. The club has maintained that Ederson is fully fit and that the knee issue is not a problem.

But United saw it differently. And now Atalanta is left in a tricky spot. They had been planning around that transfer fee. With no sale coming through, the club could pivot and offer Ederson a new contract instead. That’s the backup plan according to reports, unless another team steps up in the next few weeks.

Why United Walked

This wasn’t a cold-foot situation. United had already moved through the early stages of the deal. Ederson had been on their radar as a midfield target for a while. But the second round of testing in Manchester flagged something the club’s doctors didn’t like. Knee injuries in soccer players can be complicated. Even if a guy is playing through it and putting up numbers — which Ederson clearly was — the long-term risk can spook a club spending that kind of money.

United has been burned before on medicals. They’re not taking chances anymore.

What Happens Next

For Ederson, a new deal at Atalanta isn’t a bad outcome. He’s valued in Bergamo. The team believes in him. But the question is whether another European club will jump in and try to get him before the window closes. A lot depends on how bad that knee really looks on paper. Teams do their own due diligence. Some might see the same thing United saw. Some might not care.

Atalanta isn’t panicking yet. They have a player who wants to be there and a league season that doesn’t wait for anybody. If nobody comes with a check, they’ll probably just hand him a raise and move on.