United close in on Ederson but elite No.6 target remains unresolved this summer

Manchester United are closing in on a £38 million deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with the transfer expected to be finalised before the World Cup kicks off on 11 June. The 26-year-old will be the first of at least two, and potentially three, new midfielders through the door at Old Trafford this summer, with Manuel Ugarte heading for the exit.

Ederson is seen as an all-rounder capable of operating as a deep-lying midfielder or pushing further forward, filling either of the two No.6 roles in Michael Carrick’s system — positions occupied by Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo during the second half of last season. His absence from Brazil’s World Cup squad removes any urgency around the timeline, but the club expects the deal to be wrapped up regardless.

United are also monitoring West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, who will leave the club following the Hammers’ relegation, though Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested. Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, who flourished under Carrick on Teesside, has also been linked.

The more pressing question surrounds the elite No.6 United have been targeting for months as a genuine Casemiro replacement. Elliot Anderson, 23, had long been considered the primary option, but the Newcastle midfielder is now more likely to join Manchester City and would cost upwards of £100 million. Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni has emerged as an alternative, though prising him away from the Bernabéu presents its own difficulties.

Interest in Sandro Tonali has cooled, and United are reluctant to pursue Brighton’s Carlos Baleba if the asking price remains as steep as it was a year ago. England international Adam Wharton was left out of the World Cup squad, but there are internal doubts about whether he could partner Mainoo effectively in a Premier League midfield.

The identity of United’s most important signing of the window therefore remains open, though the summer is still in its earliest stages. The stakes are high: United took more points from the final 17 Premier League games of last season than any other side — 39 in total — and there is a sense of momentum under Carrick that the club is eager to build on with the right additions.