Who is Ederson? The Atalanta midfield star wanted by Barcelona and Newcastle

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 6 Dec 2023 18:01 GMT
• 4 min read

Atalanta star Ederson has been one of Serie A’s best midfielders so far this season, leading to interest from a host of big clubs.

Newcastle and Barcelona are both reported to be ready to move for the Brazilian, who is enjoying a wonderful season for the Serie A side.

So what do we know about Ederson?

READ MORE: Who is Michael Kayode? The Fiorentina & Italy Under-19 hero wanted by Arsenal

What club does Ederson play for?

Ederson plays for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A.

What position does Ederson play in?

READ MORE: Who is Albert Gudmundsson? Genoa’s Icelandic sensation who rejected Arsenal

Ederson is a central midfielder. He functions mostly as a box to box midfielder, but he can play as a defensive midfielder and as a more attacking central midfielder.

How good is Ederson?

Ederson first burst onto the scene in the second half of the 2021-22 season when he joined Atalanta from Corinthians in the closing days of the January transfer window.

At that time Salernitana seemed certain to be relegated but they sparked one of the greatest survival stories in Serie A history to save themselves. The addition of Ederson mid-season played a key role in that.

This earned him an immediate transfer in the summer of 2022 to Atalanta for €21 million.

Big things were expected of Ederson but he had a rather underwhelming first season in Bergamo, with just one goal and one assist as Atalanta finished fifth.

However, this season Ederson has lived up to his potential and taken a big step forward. He has been one of the best central midfielders in the league, indeed there is an argument to say that only Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglou has been superior in his position.

A box to box midfielder, Ederson has scored an impressive five goals in all competitions already this season. He has also provided one assist.

The 24-year-old has excelled with his late runs into the box and his driving runs forward.

But he has also been exceptional from a defensive point of view. He ranks fifth for all players in Serie A for the average number of tackles per game with 2.7. He is joint-ninth when it comes to number of interceptions per game with 1.5.

Together with Teun Koopmeiners (and Maarten De Roon), he has created one of the best centre midfields in Serie A.

Ederson has yet to play for the Brazil national senior team but he did feature for the Under-20 side in 2018.

What clubs are interested in Ederson?

Ederson is creating big interest from major clubs in Europe due to his performances this season.

Newcastle have been strongly reported with making a bid for the Brazilian during the January transfer window after Sandro Tonali was ruled out for the rest of the season with a betting ban.

Barcelona are also said to be big admirers, while in Italy there has been interest from Juventus and Inter in the recent past.

Atalanta value Ederson at €45m and would rather keep him until the end of the season before considering to sell him.

How old is Ederson?

Ederson is 24 years old. He was born on 7 July 1999.