Manchester United's summer rebuild is already splitting into two different tracks. Fabrizio Romano says Ederson is very close, with a five-year deal ready and a €45million agreement with Atalanta close, while the Lewis Hall chase is still a pricier and less certain rumour.
Why Ederson looks closer than Hall
Romano did not dress this up as a long-running saga. He said, “Yeah, they are getting really, really closer now. And the first signing could be Ederson from Atalanta.” He also said, “The agreement Manchester United Ederson is done. The player said yes to Man Utd. The contract is ready. It is a five-year deal. Ederson wants to go to Utd.”
That still leaves some paperwork. Romano added that United are close to completing the agreement with Atalanta for €45million, with payment terms and instalments still being discussed. So the transfer is not official, but it is the more actionable of the two stories.
The numbers back up why United want him. Ederson made 9 Europa League appearances and averaged a 7.08 rating in the competition. He also had a 6.5 rating at the Club World Cup, which is a reminder that his season was not flawless, but the Europa League level is the more relevant marker here.
Danilo was sold to Botafogo for €25million (£21.7m, $29m) in summer 2025, and Botafogo are waiting until after the 2026 World Cup finals before deciding whether to sell him. That is part of the wider market picture around United's midfield search, but Ederson is the target who sounds closest to being real.
Hall is a different kind of pursuit. The left-back has played over 3000 minutes in all competitions this season, and the brief also notes that he played 30 Premier League matches for Newcastle and was rated 6.88 in the league. That is a solid profile, but it reads like a premium upside buy, not a straightforward instant fix.
Carrick has already admitted the squad needs work
Michael Carrick has not tried to hide the scale of the summer. He said, “We certainly do as a football club, want to keep moving forward,” and added, “there's obviously work to do. I know it's quite obvious, there's certain players leaving, that there's a bit of work to do.”
The timing matters because United finished third in the Premier League with 68 points from 37 matches. That is not a rescue project, but it is still a squad that needs trimming and upgrades. Carrick's words fit the football, even if the club's public line is still about progress rather than overhaul.
Casemiro scored 9 Premier League goals and was rated 7.19 in the league, which is useful context for why midfield recruitment is not just about legs or ball recovery. It is about replacing real output too. If United land Ederson first, that would say more about where the club sees the immediate need than any noise around Hall.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
