Ederson breaks silence on failed Manchester United transfer

Back in June, Manchester United believed they’d found their man, agreeing a fee in the region of £38million with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Ederson, with the move expected to be finalised after his involvement at the 2026 World Cup.

Instead, a routine medical turned into anything but, with concerns over the 27-year-old’s knee prompting United to schedule a more thorough second round of tests.

Those tests ultimately convinced the club to walk away entirely, with Fabrizio Romano confirming in July that the deal was off and considered as collapsed.

United instead redirected their business elsewhere, completing a £50million move for Andrey Santos from Chelsea and a £36million deal for Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.

Now, Ederson himself has broken his silence on the saga, insisting he still doesn’t fully understand what went wrong.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Atalanta’s Conference League play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Ederson said he was simply happy to have stayed in Bergamo.

“I am very happy to remain with Atalanta, I really thank the club and Luca Percassi,” he said. “I was happy to wear the jersey that has given me so much joy.”

Reflecting on the collapsed move, he added, “I had lovely moments going to the World Cup with Brazil, and then… I still don’t know what happened to be honest, but the important thing is that I was able to deal with the situation, return with the right mentality and give my all to the club that gave me so much.”

Speaking separately to Sky Sport Italia, Ederson pushed back on suggestions the medical issue was simply an excuse for United to change their minds.

“I honestly don’t know what happened. I always had interest from other clubs, and I could’ve gone to another English side.

“The tests went well, I don’t know what changed. I’ve been with Atalanta for four years and always played,” he explained.

“I could’ve just waited to see what happened, but the great rapport with the club convinced me to stay and sign a new contract.”

That new deal ties Ederson to Atalanta until 2031, ending any prospect of United revisiting a move for him this window.

Attention at Old Trafford has since turned to Carlos Baleba as the third and final piece of Michael Carrick’s midfield rebuild, with United and Brighton reported to be closing in on a full agreement worth in excess of £60million.

United had failed in an earlier attempt to sign Baleba last summer, when Brighton demanded a fee in excess of £100million, but the price has since softened considerably.