Manchester United Target Ederson as Midfield Rebuild Begins
Manchester United are preparing to throw serious money at Atalanta midfielder Ederson as they reshape their squad – and Michael Carrick is readying a bold rebuild of his own if he lands the job permanently.
Champions League football is back at Old Trafford after a year in the wilderness, and the mood has shifted quickly under Carrick. He has steadied a drifting side, delivered big results – including Sunday’s win over Liverpool – and forced his way into the conversation for the full-time role. Whoever is in the dugout next season, United know they cannot go into a campaign fighting on domestic and European fronts with the same midfield.
Casemiro is on his way out, Ugarte has failed to convince and is expected to follow, and the club hierarchy see that vacancy at the base of midfield as the priority.
Ederson moves to the top of United’s list
Into that gap steps Ederson. United have tracked the Brazilian for some time and now believe they are in pole position to bring him in from Atalanta.
Those inside the club view him as the ideal Casemiro successor – a physically strong, front-foot midfielder who can anchor the side and still play. The phrase being used around the deal is “significant investment”, and that is exactly what it will take.
Atalanta’s valuation can reach up to €50million (£43.3m), a figure that has already cooled interest from Atletico Madrid, whose reluctance to meet the asking price has opened the door for United. Contacts between Old Trafford and Bergamo have ramped up in recent days, with United pushing to turn long-term admiration into a concrete agreement.
Carrick’s blueprint: new players, new staff
Carrick’s influence is not limited to the pitch. If he is confirmed as permanent manager, he wants to shape the backroom team as aggressively as the playing squad.
United are closely monitoring Bayern Munich assistant Aaron Danks, a coach Carrick knows well from their time together at Middlesbrough. Danks left Teesside to join Bayern’s staff and has enhanced his reputation in Germany, and now the prospect of a reunion at one of the world’s biggest clubs is very real.
Background checks on Danks have impressed United’s decision-makers, who see him as a strong fit for the culture Carrick is trying to build. For the former United midfielder, it would be a full-circle moment: from learning the trade in the Championship to leading the staff at Old Trafford alongside a trusted ally.
Van de Ven price set as United weigh defensive move
The rebuild will not stop in midfield. At the back, United are one of several clubs circling Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, whose performances have pushed him into the elite bracket of young centre-backs in Europe.
Tottenham’s stance is clear. Any buyer will have to pay heavily. Reports put their asking price in the £60–80million range, a figure that instantly narrows the field of realistic bidders and underlines just how highly Spurs rate the Dutchman.
Van de Ven’s own demands are just as punchy. He currently earns around £90,000 per week in north London but is understood to be seeking a jump to roughly £200,000 per week if he moves. Between the transfer fee and wages, any deal would be a major financial commitment.
United and Liverpool are among the clubs weighing up whether the combination of fee and salary makes sense for a defender still at the start of his peak years. The interest is there. The question is who is willing to push hardest when the window opens – and how far United’s promised “significant investment” will really stretch.
