Man Utd identify third midfielder signing after Ederson and Santos transfers

9 Jul 2026 16:01 BST | 4 min read

Man Utd, Ederson, Andrey Santos, Michael Carrick — © IMAGO

Suraj Radia | Editor

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Manchester United are still expected to complete the signing of Ederson despite doubts emerging over the deal and they have now identified a third midfielder to bring in this summer.

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A €45 million deal for Ederson has been in place for over a month but the second part of his medical was put on hold until after his participation in the 2026 World Cup with Brazil.

There had been fears that United were considering pulling out of a deal for the Atalanta star but the midfielder is due to complete his medical this week, at which point the Red Devils will make a final call on the transfer which, if there are no issues, should be confirmed.

United have also agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Andrey Santos for around €60m, with the 22-year-old being identified as the ideal replacement for Casemiro.

Compared

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

VS

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

€33.2M	ETV	€49.3M
€29.9M - €36.6M	ETV Range	€44.4M - €54.3M
27 years old (07 Jul, 1999)	Age	22 years old (03 May, 2004)
Brazil	Nationality	Brazil

However, after Manuel Ugarte having suffered a long-term knee injury, United are now believed to be focusing their resources on signing a third midfielder over a left winger, particularly with Marcus Rashford looking likely to remain at Old Trafford this summer.

Aurelien Tchouameni was the club’s dream target for the summer but the 26-year-old has signed a new contract with Real Madrid, leading United to add a new French midfielder to their shortlist.

Manu Kone: Roma becomes 'serious option' for Man Utd

According to TEAMtalk, Manu Kone has emerged as a ‘serious option’ for United after being informed that the Roma star is keen to test himself in the Premier League.

© IMAGO - Manu Kone is wanted by Man Utd.

United are said to be ‘plotting’ a move for Kone after Roma opened the door to a transfer, with a fee of £50m (€58.5m) thought to be enough to convince them into a sale due to their need to meet UEFA’s financial regulations.

Intermediaries for Kone are believed to have spoken to Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, along with United, with clubs being told that the 25-year-old is ‘enthusiastic’ about moving to England for the right opportunity.

United could now pursue a deal after effectively securing two of their midfielders for around €100m – a similar price that they were willing to pay for one player in Mateus Fernandes, giving the club more strength in depth and budget to target further signings.

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