Manchester United’s long pursuit of Atalanta’s Brazilian midfielder Ederson has hit an unexpected snag, and it involves a last-minute flight to a World Cup rather than a flight to Manchester.
The 27-year-old was essentially packed and ready to finalize his move to Old Trafford. A deal worth around $49 million had been struck with Atalanta back in early June, and United had already cleared the major hurdles. Ederson had reportedly made United his priority over Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and a handful of Serie A clubs. Then Brazil’s national team called him up as a late replacement for an injured Wesley, and suddenly the medical exam in England got kicked down the road.
Now there’s a mess of conflicting reports. Some outlets in Brazil are saying the transfer has stalled, even fallen apart. United sources told the other side of the story over the weekend. According to TEAMtalk, a well-placed insider said there are no issues. The move is still on. The medical will happen as soon as Ederson can get to England. It’s just a logistical delay caused by the World Cup call-up.
So why the doubt? The Daily Mail reports that United’s first medical on Ederson raised some concerns. That might explain why the club is now demanding final guarantees and wants to run a second round of thorough exams before they sign off. That’s not exactly a vote of confidence. But it also might just be standard caution with a nine-figure investment.
The midfield makeover continues
Ederson isn’t the only Brazilian midfielder United is chasing. The club also agreed to a $63 million deal with Chelsea for Andrey Santos. The 22-year-old is scheduled to travel to Manchester for his own medical today, and since he wasn’t called up for the World Cup, there’s no travel snag there.
That double dip into Brazilian talent came after United had to wave off a dream move for Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, who is expected to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu instead. But United might not be done. There are whispers that one of Tchouameni’s French teammates could become the third midfield addition of the summer.
For now, Ederson’s situation is the one to watch. United and Atalanta have a good working relationship. The money is agreed. The player wants the move. But until those medical exams get done on English soil, there’s going to be a cloud of suspense hanging over this one.
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