Man Utd tipped to sign £100m World Cup star immediately after Ederson deal

Manchester United have been tipped to raid their Premier League rivals for a player expected to star at the World Cup this summer.

United have agreed a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson for an initial £35 million plus a potential £4 million in add-ons.

The 26-year-old is set to become United's first summer signing, though The Athletic report that the deal will likely only be finalised in 'early July'.

The club are preparing for their return to the Champions League next season under the permanent management of Michael Carrick, who was rewarded with a two-year deal last month after initially replacing Ruben Amorim on an interim basis in January.

The former United midfielder guided United to a third-placed finish in the Premier League, and celebrated his first permanent game in charge on the final day of the season with a 3-0 win at Brighton.

The club are yet to announce their full retained list but Casemiro and Tyrell Malacia are both leaving the club as free agents.

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Ederson is arriving as a much-needed addition to United's midfield, with reports indicating that more midfielders are being targeted.

Man Utd urged to land Premier League star

According to former United striker Louis Saha, the current squad also needs strengthening in defence - particularly at centre-back.

And Saha has urged United chiefs to make a move for Tottenham star Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven has been at Spurs for three seasons (Image: Getty)

Van de Ven, who has been named in Netherlands' 26-man squad for the World Cup, was valued at £100 million by Spurs in January and it remains to be seen whether that valuation has changed after he helped the club to stay in the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible as part of the Unibet World Cup 2026 campaign, Saha explained: "If they [United] want to keep going, they will need to add some really tough and talented players as well.

"The Champions League is here and there are many more games to manage. This is something that Carrick hasn't done yet with Manchester United.

"So it is definitely a challenge during the transfer market, but if they have the budget, I think they can achieve that.

"Definitely we need, I would say, one strong defender. Someone like Micky van de Ven, who can be strong and versatile as well.

"We have a lot of good defenders, but they're kind of injury-prone, so it's a bit of a dangerous thing to go into the season with if you want to have a stable campaign."

Saha also suggested United should sign competition for striker Benjamin Sesko, noting: "He's our only proper striker, a young boy, and the Champions League is a massive ask for him to handle alone."

"In midfield, they definitely need more aggression and more leadership since the departure of Casemiro," the former France striker added. "You definitely need players to not only support Bruno Fernandes, but also challenge him.

"There is a definite need for more creation on the wings, where we have good players, but maybe for the Champions League, it will fall a bit short of what is needed creatively. So we need more creators that can support Bruno Fernandes."