Manchester United have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign midfielder Éderson for an initial €40.5m (£35m), with the Brazilian set to become the first signing of Michael Carrick's permanent tenure as manager.
The 26-year-old was identified by Carrick and director of football Jason Wilcox as a replacement for Casemiro, who has left the club after his contract expired. The deal could be worth up to €45m (£38.8m) with add-ons, and personal terms have been agreed on a contract running until June 2030, with an option to extend for a further 12 months.
Although the summer transfer window opens on 15 June, the move is expected to be completed early next month, subject to the player passing a medical. Éderson primarily operates as a holding midfielder but brings dynamism with box-to-box runs and an ability to read the game and break up attacks.
Manuel Ugarte, another defensive midfielder who joined for £51m from Paris Saint-Germain in summer 2024, rarely featured last season and could be sold or loaned out. Éderson, who turns 27 next month, was included in Carlo Ancelotti's initial 55-man squad before the 2022 World Cup but did not make the final cut.
He joined Atalanta from Salernitana in January 2022, having previously played for Cruzeiro, Corinthians, and Fortaleza in Brazil. After making his Brazil debut in a friendly against Mexico in June 2024, he has earned three caps, the most recent in a 4-1 loss to Argentina in March 2025.
Carrick is keen to add two new midfielders, with other targets including Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni (around £70m), Brighton's Carlos Baleba (valued at £50m), Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton (at least £60m), and Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson (minimum £100m, though he reportedly favours Manchester City).
