Manchester United remain in the market for a third midfield signing this summer, although they continue to weigh up whether to actually press ahead with their first deal of the window. United agreed a £38.3 million package with Atalanta to sign Ederson more than five weeks ago and also have personal terms over a four-year contract in place with the 27-year-old. But an initial medical during the World Cup is thought to have raised concerns about Ederson, who missed some games with a meniscus injury in his knee last season. United haven't revealed what the issue is.
Ederson Undergoing Further Assessments
The midfielder is now undergoing more detailed assessments in Manchester and if United are happy with the results, everything is in place to confirm his signing. The deals for Ederson and Andrey Santos aren't linked. Even if Ederson and Santos both sign, United are expected to continue their search for a third midfield signing, with Manuel Ugarte expected to miss the majority of the season with a suspected ACL injury.
They retain an interest in 22-year-old Alex Scott, although Bournemouth want around £80 million and are keen to tie him down to a new contract. They also made checks on Felix Nmecha but are set to be priced out of a deal by Borussia Dortmund. There is currently no plan to move for Manu Kone. The Roma midfielder has stood in for Aurelien Tchouameni in France's midfield at the World Cup recently, but he isn't someone United currently have plans to make a move for. If they do pull the plug on Ederson, then they will need to go back to the drawing board over midfield reinforcements.
De Ligt Back at Carrington
There was no sign of Matthijs de Ligt in the pictures United released of players returning to pre-season training on Thursday, but the centre-back is back at Carrington and is following an individual program as he continues to recover from back surgery. The 26-year-old has done work abroad since undergoing surgery in May, but he has also been at Carrington during the summer to keep his fitness work going. De Ligt hasn't played for United since the end of November, initially delaying back surgery to try and return before the end of the season and force his way into the Netherlands' World Cup squad. When time ran out, he opted to go under the knife and is now determined to return fully fit and there is confidence that his back issue is behind him after surgery.
Kone Plan of Action
While some youngsters will be involved in pre-season for United, Sekou Kone is instead spending the summer with Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland, with a second loan spell with the Ineos-owned Swiss Super League side on the table. The 20-year-old joined the club in January until the end of last season, but he featured in just five league games, starting only one, before an injury ruled him out for the final seven games of the campaign. But Kone has played for Lausanne-Sport in pre-season this summer, including in a friendly against Brazilian giants Flamengo this week, and both sides are weighing up the merits of a season-long loan. Kone is lacking first-team experience since moving from Malian side Guidars FC to United two years ago and the 134 minutes he played for Lausanne-Sport last season is the only senior football he has to his name.
Why No Tour
United had offers from promoters to tour Asia this summer, but turned them down to focus on a pre-season where the football would take priority. With the World Cup dominating the American market this summer, there is a reduced market for US tours. Other clubs are heading to the Far East and United had offers to do so, but decided they weren’t financially attractive enough. The desire to weigh up the financial benefits against what is needed from a football perspective is the latest indicator of the change in approach at United, with what happens on the pitch now higher up the list of priorities. While there will be some commercial activity this summer, it will pale in comparison to a standard tour and there will be only one week when the squad aren’t training at Carrington, which is when they will head to Dublin.
Dispatch from Carrington
Amazon are yet to begin filming at Carrington ahead of their All or Nothing series of Manchester United, but they have been laying the groundwork, both before the players returned for pre-season and now they are back in the building. Historically, United have been less proactive than many other clubs in filming behind-the-scenes clips for their own social media channels, so this will mark a cultural shift. The production crew have discussed access plans with staff members and will speak to the squad and management team early in pre-season, with an expectation that filming and interviews will begin as soon as next week.
Quote of the Week
"The revenue that's going to be generated, where does that go? That'll go back into the club, that goes back into the team, that goes back into growing our football. So as far as I'm concerned, whilst we can get over-obsessed with debt and borrowing, there's no stadium, I don't think, where you would not have some form of borrowing." Collette Roche, CEO of United's new stadium development, makes it clear that more debt is coming when a new 100,000-seater stadium is built.
What to Look Out for Next Week
It feels like United's midfield plans are on hold at the moment while they weigh up whether to go ahead with the deal in place for Ederson. If they give the green light, then they will be looking for one more addition in that area of the pitch. If they opt to pull the plug then they will need a replacement for the 27-year-old, who would return to Atalanta with one year left on his contract. What happens next - and we should know in the next day or two - will be crucial to United's summer.
