Atalanta issue Ederson transfer update after Man Utd 'agreement'

Manchester United are reportedly on the cusp of their first signing of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd will finish the Premier League season in third place when their lightest workload for generations comes to an end against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon.

With interim head coach Michael Carrick now installed on a permanent basis, the Red Devils will play at least 48 matches in all competitions in 2026-27 thanks to their qualification for the Champions League after a year away from European competition.

Their summer recruitment push has begun in earnest and they're closing in on an agreement for Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

The 26-year-old Brazilian international is set to leave Bergamo for a fee in the region of £43 million, according to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Intermediaries are at work and a preliminary agreement has been reached," reports Giovanni Albanese.

"Ederson's contract expires in 2027, so this is Atalanta's last chance to make a sale at a significant price.

"This is the fifth-highest transfer fee for Atalanta, after [Mateo] Retegui to Al Qadsiah (€62 million), [Teun] Koopmeiners to Juventus (€58 million), and [Cristian] Romero to Tottenham (€53 million)."

Ederson is a box-to-box midfield grafter who is crucial to Atalanta's efforts without the ball and is now regarded among the best in Serie A.

Born in the Brazilian city of Campo Grande, Ederson made the switch to Italy in 2022 and played a handful of league matches for Salernitana before he was snapped up by La Dea.

He's been a regular in Atalanta's Champions League team for the past two seasons but their first season after the departure of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will end on Sunday with his old team in a Conference League spot.

Atalanta's Ederson closing in on a move to Man Utd

Man Utd should be an attractive destination for the Brazilian. Their fortunes have been the reverse of Atalanta's, with their change of head coach at the start of the year bringing to an end the disappointing tenure of Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils will return to the Champions League after two seasons away.

United reached the final of the Europa League in 2024-25, losing to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.

Their final defeat meant a season without any European football in 2025-26.