Ederson insists knee issue was minor as £35m Man Utd transfer collapse resurfaces

Ederson has broken his silence on the knee problem that derailed his £35 million move to Manchester United this summer, insisting the issue was never as serious as the club’s medical staff appeared to conclude.

United had agreed a fee of £35m plus £4m in add-ons to sign the 27-year-old Atalanta midfielder as a direct replacement for Casemiro, whose contract expired at the end of last season. However, medical examinations uncovered what was described as a ‘significant’ knee problem, and the club pulled out of the deal. United subsequently moved on to sign Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.

Speaking to Trivela, Ederson was candid about the fitness concerns that also cost him his place in Brazil’s national team squad during the summer. “I’m very well, as I’ve always been, actually. Physically, I can’t complain. I’ve always been very blessed in that regard, I’ve always been well,” he said.

“The injuries that affected my call-ups were minor. They kept me out for a few days, and I was just unlucky that they happened very close to the call-ups. That’s why I always came back very quickly. I’ve never had any kind of injury that kept me out for a long time.”

Ederson added that he returned to Atalanta ahead of schedule to rebuild his fitness and reported no complications. “I did the whole preparation without any problems, all the tests, and started the season as always. I’m very well to continue the season. And Atalanta know me very well.”

Since the transfer collapsed, Ederson has signed a new contract with Atalanta keeping him at the club until the summer of 2031 and has taken on the captaincy. He has featured in all four of the club’s fixtures so far this season.

The midfielder also revealed that Atalanta were never truly willing sellers. “I always spoke a lot with the club, I have an excellent relationship here. Whenever this happened, with enquiries and offers, I asked what Atalanta’s intention was, what the project was, whether they were thinking of selling me, and they never thought about selling me.”

This is the second time Ederson has addressed the collapsed United move in recent weeks, suggesting the episode continues to follow him into the new campaign despite his efforts to draw a line under it.