Manchester United are now trying to turn long-standing interest in Atalanta midfielder Éderson into a concrete move, after weeks of growing signs the deal is slipping away from Atlético Madrid.
The Brazilian has become one of the biggest midfield stories heading into the summer window. Arsenal, Newcastle United and Juventus have all appeared in the picture at different moments.
Atlético Madrid even looked set to win the race after reaching a verbal agreement with the player weeks ago.
But the Spanish side have struggled to match Atalanta’s demands, believed to be around €45m-50m (£38m-42m). That has reopened the door – and Manchester United now look ready to charge through it.
Manchester United now trying to move fast
Italian journalist Alfredo Pedullà reports Manchester United will hold fresh talks next week as they try to accelerate the operation.
According to him, the Premier League side were actually the first club to seriously move for Éderson more than a year and a half ago. United have kept tabs on him ever since.
Now they are trying to beat the competition by “breaking through the €40m wall”.
That line is important because Atlético Madrid’s problems have never really been about convincing the player. The real issue has been Atalanta’s asking price.
Atlético agreement changed very little
Pedullà also says Manchester United first want to agree wages with Éderson’s entourage before moving fully onto club-to-club negotiations.
That is particularly interesting because Atlético Madrid had already managed exactly that months ago, before talks stalled elsewhere.
Recent reports in Spain claimed Éderson rejected approaches from Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United because he prioritised a move to the Metropolitano. But Atlético’s inability to close a deal with Atalanta has changed the mood around the situation.
The Old Trafford club are also moving from a position of need. Casemiro is expected to leave this summer, while Manuel Ugarte’s future still looks uncertain. So Michael Carrick wants midfield reinforcements and Éderson fits a profile United have lacked for a while.
As we recently covered, Éderson is now convinced and prefers a move to Old Trafford.
What happens next
The next step now looks fairly obvious. Manchester United want to secure personal terms first before making a decisive move towards Atalanta’s valuation.
Atlético Madrid are still there, but the momentum has shifted. Arsenal and Newcastle United continue to hover in the background, although neither has accelerated recently.
After tracking Éderson for more than 18 months, United now seem determined to make sure they are finally the club that gets the deal over the line.
