Man Utd’s first summer signing confirmed: Carrick lands €45m deal

Updated: 3 Jun 2026 14:55 BST | 5 min read

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Manchester United’s first signing of the summer has been confirmed, with Ederson set to arrive from Atalanta in a transfer worth up to €45 million.

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Ederson, who will become new manager Michael Carrick’s first signing since arriving at Old Trafford on a permanent basis, is poised to sign a five-year contract with the Premier League giants, having previously been close to Atletico Madrid a matter of weeks ago.

The 26-year-old midfielder, who is best remembered for the high-octane performance he delivered in the 2024 Europa League final as Atalanta shocked Bayer Leverkusen to win the title, still has to complete his medical.

Current ETV

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

ETV Range

€32.3M - €39.4M

Ederson to Man Utd: Top sources confirm deal

Ederson’s move to Man Utd has been on the cards for several days but has been confirmed by multiple sources, including The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano.

Ornstein was first to break the story, reporting details of the agreement between Man Utd and both Atalanta and the Brazilian.

United will pay an initial €40.5m (£35m) for the former Corinthians and Salernitana midfielder but as much as €4.5m may follow in bonuses.

In terms of the player’s contract at Old Trafford, he has a deal in place until 2030, though there is an option to extend by one year, as per the Red Devils’ usual policy.

Ederson’s career-high Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €60.5m, which was achieved a year ago. This has since dropped to €35.8m, though that is largely because he only has one season left on his contract in Bergamo, which is a factor that has forced Atalanta to sell at a price they would not usually consider.

Ornstein revealed on X that the deal for Ederson’s move is not expected to be made official until early July.

Is Ederson Man Utd’s Casemiro replacement?

Ederson is a player who typically operates either as a defensive midfielder or a more orthodox central midfielder. He has the same box-to-box capacities as Casemiro but, perhaps crucially, is not as strong defensively as his compatriot.

He will bring a massive amount of energy to United and is likely to act as a greater link player for the midfield, both in terms of gathering possession from the defence and then driving forward when in possession.

But it’s Casemiro’s X-factor that has made him such a valuable player for United this season. This has notably come in the form of goals. He has nine in the Premier League. But he also weighed in with a couple of assists and 31 key passes. These are figures that the more conservative Ederson cannot match.

Indeed, the 34-year-old is more naturally adventurous and risk-taking in possession further up the field.

Casemiro vs Ederson (2025/26)

	Ederson	Casemiro
Appearances	30	34
Goals	2	9
Asssits	1	2
Key passes	22	31
Passes into the 'hot zone'	67	102

What does this mean for Man Utd’s transfer window?

An early deal is a major boost to Man Utd’s summer, which is expected to be a busy one in terms of transfers. This is particularly the case in midfield.

Casemiro’s departure has blown a hole in the area for Carrick to fill, and Ederson is the type of player who has the disruptive skills to act as his compatriot’s replacement. What is more questionable is if he can provide the same impact that the former Real Madrid star made going forwards.

Carrick and the recruitment team, meanwhile, will sign at least one other midfielder, though possibly two. One marquee signing is anticipated, with Elliott Anderson of Nottingham Forest the dream target, even if Manchester City are thought to be leading the way.

United also want to recruit a left-back and an attacker, giving the new manager plenty of work to do during the off season.

Ederson, therefore, represents a strong start for Manchester United, but there’s still a lot more to come as their rebuild continues.