Man Utd ready to 'break barrier' and sign dream Casemiro replacement with green light given for deal

Casemiro is set to bid farewell to Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, and Manchester United look to have found the perfect replacement for the Brazilian.

The Red Devils will be aiming to strengthen their squad this summer to prepare them for next season, as they are set to return to the Champions League after a two-year absence from the European competition.

While no decision has been made regarding who will be in charge of Man United next season, Michael Carrick has put himself in pole position after a fine interim period; at least that is the opinion of Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant manager Rene Muelensteen.

Casemiro’s form under Carrick has led to questions on whether the Brazilian may contemplate remaining at Old Trafford, but he is certain he is to leave the club, and so United must find his replacement, and it appears they have found the perfect individual.

According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, United are leading the race to acquire Ederson from Atalanta this summer.

Pedulla reported on X: “#Ederson-#ManchesterUnited: new talks next week. We’ve been discussing it for over a year and a half; United was the first club to make a move.

“And now it will try to outpace the competition by breaking the 40-million-euro barrier.”

#Ederson-#ManchesterUnited: la prossima settimana nuovi dialoghi. Ne parliamo da oltre un anno e mezzo, lo United è stato il primo club a muoversi. E ora cercherà di anticipare la concorrenza sfondando il muro dei 40 milioni https://t.co/EMKcAesTsL

— Alfredo Pedullà (@AlfredoPedulla) May 8, 2026

Ederson has been a crucial player for Atalanta across the last four seasons, having featured in 178 matches since joining the club from Salernitana.

United are not the only club rumoured to be interested in the midfielder, as Atletico Madrid have long been linked to the Brazilian, but according to TEAMtalk, the Spanish club do not want to go above their valuation of £39 million; however, Atalanta want a fee of £43 million.

Premier League rivals Arsenal are also interested in bringing Ederson to the Emirates this summer, with their sporting director Andrea Berta believed to be a huge admirer of the Brazilian.