Manchester United sign Ederson from Atalanta for £35m as Brazil call-up delays official announcement

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign midfielder Ederson for £35 million, with a further £4 million in potential add-ons, though the 26-year-old’s late inclusion in Brazil’s World Cup squad is expected to delay the move becoming official.

Ederson was not part of Carlo Ancelotti’s initial Brazil squad for the tournament but was drafted in as a late replacement after defender Wesley picked up an injury. On Monday he arrived at Brazil’s training camp in New Jersey, where United team-mate Matheus Cunha was the first player to greet him — the pair sharing an embrace before Ederson was welcomed by the wider squad, including Arsenal defender Gabriel, Lucas Paqueta of Flamengo, and Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes.

United had been targeting a deal completed by the start of July so Ederson could feature in pre-season, but that timeline has now shifted. While it is not impossible that the transfer is formalised during the World Cup in the United States — which would require the agreement of both the player and the Brazilian football federation — the more likely scenario is that Ederson undergoes his medical and signs the paperwork once Brazil’s involvement in the tournament ends, before being granted a summer break.

Ederson came through the football system in Brazil before moving to Italian club Salernitana in 2022. After six months there, he joined Atalanta, where he has gone on to make 180 appearances. His most prominent moment in Italian football came in 2023-24, when he started the Europa League final as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to claim the trophy.

Capable of operating as a deep-lying midfielder or in a more advanced No.8 role, Ederson has earned a reputation for his physical output and engine. He averaged 10.6 kilometres per game in the Champions League this season, a figure that underlines the box-to-box qualities United are acquiring.

The midfielder will link up with Cunha at Old Trafford next season, with the Brazilian winger having already established himself as one of United’s key attacking players.