Ederson's move to Manchester United has been thrown into doubt after fresh medical concerns, while Atalanta are already lining up a five-year contract if the transfer falls apart. The two clubs had shaken hands over a fee reported as a €45m package by one outlet, while others have put the figure at £38million. United still say the deal has not been cancelled.

The medical checks that slowed the move

The medical was first done in the United States during the World Cup, before further checks in the UK prompted United to pause the deal. That left a transfer that had moved far enough for personal terms to be agreed, but not far enough to be done and dusted.

Ederson is into the final year of his Atalanta contract, which runs to the summer of 2027. That gives the Italian club a choice of their own, either lose him now or try to keep him on improved terms.

Atalanta's fallback plan

Atalanta are currently in the final year of the player’s deal and want to offer him a new five-year contract if the move collapses. Their case is helped by the fact that Ederson still looks like an active, reliable part of the squad. He has a 7.1 average rating across his last five games, completed 450 minutes in that run, and his ratings have ranged from 6.6 to 8.2 across those matches.

That is a player they are not in a hurry to move on from, even with United pushing. The club finished seventh in Serie A and ranked 15th in the Champions League group phase, which is enough to make the fight for their best midfielders a real one.

United, though, still need depth in the middle of the pitch. Omar Berrada said, "I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated", and Carrick has also admitted: "There's obviously work to do. It's quite obvious, with certain players leaving, there's a bit of work to do."

The deal is still alive, but the medical issue has changed the mood around it. Atalanta are behaving like a club that is preparing to keep Ederson, and until United resolve the issue, that is the more convincing read.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →