Loftus-Cheek backs Ederson to thrive at United as £35m Atalanta deal nears completion

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Atalanta midfielder Ederson in what would be the first transfer of the Michael Carrick era, with the club having agreed an initial fee of €40.5m (£35m) plus €4.5m (£3.8m) in add-ons for the 26-year-old Brazilian.

The move addresses a pressing need in United’s midfield following the imminent departure of Casemiro, whose contract expires at the end of June. Ederson’s arrival from Atalanta would give Carrick an experienced, physically imposing option at the base of midfield as he looks to reshape the squad at Old Trafford.

AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who faced Ederson in Serie A this season, offered a glowing assessment of the incoming signing. “He’ll do just fine,” Loftus-Cheek said. “The times we’ve played against each other, he’s been very physical. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s good on the ball. I think he’ll do really well — he’s a good signing.”

While midfield reinforcement appears close to being resolved, former United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen has urged the club to also strengthen in attack. “I still think they need to do something in the striker position as well as midfield reinforcements,” Meulensteen said.

Meulensteen floated Harry Kane as an aspirational target but acknowledged the England captain is likely out of reach. He instead pointed to Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta as a realistic option. “A strong striker, proven himself in the Premier League again this season,” he said. “You can’t just keep relying on young players in attack, otherwise you keep throwing people up there like Mbeumo or Cunha — they can do the job, but they’re not real strikers.”

Meulensteen also referenced RB Salzburg teenager Kerim Alajbegovic as a promising but uncertain prospect, cautioning that the step up to the Premier League would represent a significant challenge for a player so early in his career.

Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni has also been considered as a midfield target, though Ederson’s deal appears the more advanced of the two pursuits.