Atalanta give Ederson transfer update amid Man Utd 'interest’ as decision explained

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Manchester United could be closing in on the first signing of the Michael Carrick era. United finally confirmed on Friday that Carrick is staying as head coach after agreeing a deal until 2028.

There has been a growing expectation that United’s major moves in the summer market will come in midfield. But with Casemiro departing following this weekend’s game against Brighton , beefing up their options in the middle of the park is now even more important for the Red Devils this summer.

And it was claimed earlier this week that United have held talks with Atalanta over a deal for Ederson. The Italian side are reportedly keen on a fee of £34.5million plus a further £4.3m in add-ons for the midfielder.

Speculation around the midfielder’s future is now expected to grow after he was an unused substitute in his side’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Friday night. Although Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino stopped short of naming United, he revealed the reason behind Ederson’s absence was because of a transfer.

He said: "Ederson out? It was a decision we agreed with the boy because there’s something going on in the transfer market. The fact that such a player is being followed by such a big club should be a source of pride."

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Elliot Anderson is understood to be at the top of United's transfer shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window. Both United and Manchester City are monitoring the England international’s progress before a potential move for the £100million-rated Nottingham Forest star.

Since joining Forest from Newcastle United in the summer of 2024, the 23-year-old has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League . Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also believed to be keen on signing Anderson this summer, but a two-way battle between City and United is expected to take place.

When asked if Anderson would stay at the City Ground, Forest boss Vitor Pereira admitted last weekend: "This is an answer that I don’t have. The market is the market, everything can happen.

"What I can say to you is the club wants to keep him playing for us for sure. The club wants to keep the players. This is a very good group with quality, with character and we are in a very good place for the next season."

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Pereira also said: "He has the talent to be one of the top of the top, every time he can score more goals, especially he can be a little bit more take a bit more the risk in the last third, he has a very good shot.

"It depends on the system. If we give him total freedom to build the play I think he can do everything but we are playing with two midfielders, if he loses every time the position, we have one midfielder.

"It is a system that doesn’t give him total freedom to create. He needs to understand when the other one loses the position, he cannot but he has a lot of talent and is young and will fly with big wings.