Manchester United close to signing Atalanta's Ederson in £40m deal as Brazilian earns World Cup call-up

Manchester United are set to complete the signing of Atalanta midfielder Ederson for up to £40 million, with a meeting arranged to finalise the remaining details of a deal that would make him the club’s first transfer of the summer.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano first revealed last week that Ederson would be United’s opening signing of the window. Reports from ESPN Brazil’s SportsCenter and Brazilian transfer expert Jorge Nicola have since confirmed that a meeting was scheduled to tie up the final loose ends, with Nicola speaking directly to the player’s representative, Andre Cury. The fee will exceed the previously reported £35 million, climbing to £40 million once bonuses — described as “easily achievable” — are included. The deal is expected to be structured across four years.

Ederson, 26, is a fellow Brazilian to the veteran midfielder Casemiro, whose replacement United have been working to secure. The Atalanta man’s arrival would address a significant need in central midfield as manager Michael Carrick oversees a broad summer rebuild following the club’s return to Champions League football — achieved after a 12-place rise in the Premier League table between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.

The timing of the transfer has been further boosted by developments on the international stage. Ederson received a call-up to Brazil’s World Cup 2026 squad on Monday after Roma’s Wesley Franca was ruled out with an adductor injury sustained during a friendly against Egypt. National team manager Carlo Ancelotti opted to add Ederson to the squad rather than bring in a direct replacement for Franca at right-back, a decision that underlines the midfielder’s standing within the Brazilian setup.

Ederson will therefore head to North America for the World Cup before linking up with his new club, arriving at Old Trafford having competed at football’s highest international stage.