Man Utd make final decision on Ederson signing - Fabrizio Romano

10 Jul 2026 19:56 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Manchester United have made their final decision on whether or not to finalise the signing of Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

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The Red Devils swooped in and agreed a deal for the Brazil international after a transfer to Atletico Madrid fell through last month. Ederson and the LaLiga giants had terms in place, but Atleti were unable to agree a deal with Atalanta.

This allowed Man Utd to finally formalise their interest in a player they had been following closely since at least 2024. Personal terms were, once again, not an issue, nor was striking a deal with Atalanta.

Current ETV

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

Éderson

M (C)

Atalanta

ETV Range

€29.9M - €36.6M

A €45 million financial package was agreed without much of a fuss. However, the two clubs somewhat strangely decided not to announce the deal until this month. Initially, this was not because of the World Cup.

When the decision to delay his unveiling was made, Ederson had not yet received his belated call-up to the Brazil squad as an injury replacement. Something was clearly afoot.

Man Utd make Ederson decision

In recent days, it has become clear why Man Utd wanted to take their time with this deal: they had concerns over his fitness. Ederson has had a meniscus issue, and the Red Devils were keen to make sure that there is no long-term damage.

Man Utd have had several days now to complete the signing of the 27-year-old, but updates have been few and far between. That's because Ederson has undergone numerous medical examinations to gauge his fitness.

Today, Friday, Man Utd finalised the signings of Andrey Santos (from Chelsea) and Karl Darlow (free agent, previously at Leeds) at Carrington. Ederson was conspicuously absent, and Fabrizio Romano has now revealed why.

According to the transfer expert, Man Utd have decided to pull the plug on the deal because they evidently do not believe that he is fully fit. The deal is now considered completely off and won't be revived.

What next for Ederson?

As things stand, Ederson will return to Atalanta. Romano understands that the Bergamo club are ready to welcome him back with open arms, and they have no concerns over his long-term fitness.

However, a decision on his future will nevertheless have to be made. The Brazilian only has a year left on his contract, and his agent has repeatedly insisted in public that his client will be on the move this year.

So, Atalanta will either have to find a new buyer and settle for a lower fee, or they will keep Ederson and, if necessary, allow him to run down his deal and potentially exit as a free agent next year.

We probably haven't heard the last of this story, however. Ederson will surely also have other suitors besides Man Utd, and it would be a major surprise if there were to be no movement for him between now and the end of the transfer window in September.

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