Manchester United thought they had the Ederson deal wrapped up. A £39 million agreement with Atalanta was struck. A four-year contract was signed. A medical was completed. Then Brazil called, and everything got complicated.
The 27-year-old midfielder got a late World Cup call-up to replace the injured Wesley. He packed his bags for North America instead of Carrington. That delay gave United time to take a second look at the medical results — and what they found has put the entire transfer in doubt.
According to Football Insider, sources inside the club are worried about a meniscus injury in Ederson’s knee. The concern isn’t just about the injury itself but what it might mean long term. A meniscus issue can be manageable for years or it can turn into something that limits a player’s mobility and longevity. United’s medical staff isn’t sure which version they’re dealing with.
So they brought Ederson back for a second round of tests this week. The club has not confirmed the details, but the word coming out of Old Trafford is that these aren’t routine checkups. They’re specifically looking at that knee, trying to figure out if the risk is worth taking.
Here’s the weird part. Ederson played through the World Cup without any visible issues. He logged limited minutes for Brazil, sure, but he practiced, trained, and went through the tournament healthy. If there’s a serious knee problem, it didn’t show up under the lights. That only makes the decision harder for United’s brass.
You can see why they’re being cautious. United got burned on expensive midfielder signings before. The Casemiro deal looked like a slam dunk until it didn’t. Now Ineos is running the show, and they’ve made it clear they won’t throw money at players with medical red flags. They pulled out of the Mateus Fernandes race for similar reasons.
But walking away from Ederson would sting. United has tracked him since 2023. The recruitment team watched him closely last season and saw a midfielder who could lock down the middle of the pitch and push forward when needed. He’s 27, in his prime, and wanted United specifically. That doesn’t happen every day.
Meanwhile, United already has another Brazilian midfielder in the building. Andrey Santos arrived at Carrington yesterday for his own medical — a £50 million deal Chelsea accepted without much fuss. Santos is 22, has six caps for Brazil, and passed his physical with no issues. The club sees him as a long-term successor to Casemiro in the national team setup.
So United has options. They just don’t know yet if Ederson is one of them. The second medical results should come in within the next few days. If the knee checks out, the deal moves forward and everyone breathes easier. If it doesn’t, United will have to decide whether to walk away from a player they’ve wanted for years over an injury that might never become a problem.
That’s the kind of call that defines a transfer window.
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