Ederson says he 'doesn't know what happened' after knee concern ended £39m Man United move

Ederson has admitted he still cannot explain why his proposed £39 million move to Manchester United collapsed this summer, after a knee concern flagged during his medical prompted the club to abandon the transfer.

The 27-year-old Atalanta midfielder had been United’s primary target to replace Casemiro, who departed Old Trafford as a free agent at the end of last season. After weeks of negotiations, a fee was agreed and Ederson travelled to Greater Manchester for what was expected to be a routine medical — only for the examination to reveal a knee injury serious enough for United to pull out.

Speaking ahead of Atalanta’s UEFA Conference League play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Ederson said: “I honestly don’t know what happened. I always had interest from other clubs, and I could’ve gone to another English side. The tests went well, I don’t know what changed.”

Rather than seek a move elsewhere, Ederson opted to remain in Bergamo, signing a new contract with Atalanta that runs until 2031. “I’ve been with Atalanta for four years and always played,” he said. “I could’ve just waited to see what happened, but the great rapport with the club convinced me to stay and sign a new contract.”

United moved quickly to address their midfield needs after the deal fell through. The club signed Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million, before completing the £52 million acquisition of Andrey Santos from Chelsea. Together, the two arrivals give Ruben Amorim considerably more depth and variety in the engine room heading into the new campaign.

Despite those additions, United are reportedly still pursuing further midfield reinforcements, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba emerging as a renewed target as the club look to add one more option to the position.