8 duels won: United have to sign 25yo UCL star who was brilliant last night, £42m bid already made - opinion
Manchester United were linked with multiple midfielders during the summer transfer window before they finalised the signing of Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain.
Atalanta star Ederson was among those on their radar. It was reported last month that the Serie A outfit turned down a £42 million bid from United for the 25-year-old.
In our opinion, the Red Devils should return for the Brazil international next year with the prospect of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen heading for the exit door.
Casemiro is no longer in the prime of his career. He was recently guilty of two high-profile errors in the loss to Liverpool which saw him dropped for the Southampton game.
The 32-year-old has another 21 months left on his £350,000 per week deal, but we won’t be surprised if United look to offload him in either January or at the end of the season.
Eriksen has started the last couple of games, but the club were actively looking to sell him this summer. He could walk away on a free transfer when his contract expires next June.
Manager Erik ten Hag will obviously want a quality replacement when the duo depart. We believe Ederson would be an ideal fit with his ability to operate as a box-to-box midfielder.
Ederson bagged seven goals and one assist for Atalanta last term, and he was also brilliant defensively. He caught the eye with his duel winning ability and tackling skills.
The 25-year-old made his Champions League debut against Arsenal last night where he was named the man of the match. He had to play with caution after an early booking.
Despite this, he had the better of Thomas Partey in midfield and also won a penalty for Atalanta.
The Bergamo outfit failed to capitalise on the spotkick after David Raya’s heroics, but Ederson had a night to remember, winning eight duels and drawing four fouls from Arsenal.
Ederson passed his test against one of the Premier League’s best teams and he would be a superb acquisition for United in either January or next summer.
Stats from Sofascore.com & Capology.com