Manchester United will follow up on the signing of Atalanta’s Ederson with a move for Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali, according to a report, with the Red Devils seemingly having missed out on two other targets.
Ederson has refused to sign a new contract at Atalanta in order to put himself in line for a major transfer this summer. His current deal expires in June 2027, meaning this summer represents Atalanta’s last chance to sell for a significant fee.
Man Utd have capitalised on the situation by putting themselves on the cusp of landing the Brazilian midfielder.
We confirmed on Wednesday that United are ‘advancing’ in talks with Atalanta over a £38m swoop. Personal terms are already in place with Ederson, too.
As per Italian source Tuttomercatoweb, United are making a ‘final push’ to ‘finalise’ Ederson’s transfer, after which they will turn their full attention to Newcastle maestro Tonali.
Once the Ederson agreement is done, Michael Carrick’s side will ‘further pursue’ Tonali, who has emerged as a key target for United’s midfield overhaul.
When Tonali was first linked with a move away from Newcastle in January, reports gave him a £100m price tag. But TMW, as well as other Italian outlets, have since reported that he is actually available for €100m (£87m).
TMW claimed on Sunday that Man Utd are ‘close to reaching an agreement’ with Newcastle for Tonali.
Plus, Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has stated that United are ‘confident’ of signing both Ederson and Tonali to transform their midfield.
INEOS chiefs have swiftly moved on from the disappointment of missing out on English duo Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott.
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Two other Man Utd targets heading elsewhere
We confirmed on Wednesday that rivals Manchester City are in advanced talks to beat United to Anderson, who will cost upwards of £100m when leaving Nottingham Forest.
A proposed £60m United move for Bournemouth ace Scott is also in serious doubt as the Cherries are pushing hard to tie him down to a lucrative new contract.
It is not guaranteed that Tonali is the midfielder to follow Ederson to Old Trafford, as West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes is also under strong consideration.
Recent reports have suggested a Man Utd bid for Fernandes is imminent following West Ham’s relegation.
If Man Utd do decide to chase Tonali over Fernandes, then they could face competition for the Italy international from Arsenal.
It was claimed on Tuesday that Arsenal have entered rival talks for Tonali’s capture.
The 26-year-old wants to leave Newcastle in search of Champions League football and the biggest honours. Tonali and his family are keen on returning to Italy amid interest from Juventus, but Serie A clubs will likely struggle to get near his £87m valuation.