Manchester United enjoyed an outrageously good transfer window last summer, bringing in four players who could all be classed as a success to varying degrees.
Senne Lammens was named The Athletic’s signing of the season after preventing more xG than any other goalkeeper in the league. Costing just £18m, Lammens has been an absolute steal, and at 23-years-old he should have his best years ahead of him. Even if he was bang average, he would be a huge upgrade on Andre Onana who spent the season on loan in Turkey, but the fact he added such confidence and solidity to our defence has meant he’s been a godsend.
Our forward line of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Mattheus Cunha all managed to score 10+ goals in the Premier League, which is a good return for their debut campaigns. Sesko started the season off slowly under Ruben Amorim but went from strength to strength under Michael Carrick. His mentality is spot on and you can see him progressing well.
Mbeumo’s form dropped off towards the end of the season but it’s hard to complain when he’s scored goals in victories against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in his first year with the club. 14 Premier League goals and assists is a solid start to life at United.
Cunha also scored some great and important goals for us, including the late winner at the Emirates after Arsenal had just equalised, the winner away to Chelsea as well as an early goal in the 3-2 win against Liverpool at home. Big goals in big games for both him and Mbeumo.
Now, after securing Champions League football next season, it’s as important as ever that we continue this positive trajectory in the transfer window. With Casemiro leaving the club this summer, and possibly Manuel Ugarte too, it’s vital we recruit well in midfield.
A name that has appeared regularly from reliable sources is Atalata’s Ederson. His rise to the top of European football began in Brazil chasing a dream. At just 12-years-old after his mother paid for a one-way ticket to Sao Paulo, as that’s all she could afford so he could pursue football. He recently recounted the story to press in Italy, with his mother saying: “‘We have the money to go, but not to come back.’ Luckily there was no need to return.”
Starting his career with Desportivo Brasil, a club United formed a link with back in 2008, he moved around Brazil’s Serie A. Coaches in Brazil have spoken about his resilience and adaptability, traits that are obvious when watching him play now. He started out in defence before moving into midfield, which helps explain why he reads danger so well and looks comfortable covering large spaces.
Ederson’s career path has not been straightforward. He moved through clubs including Cruzeiro, Corinthians and Fortaleza before arriving in Italy with US Salernitana 1919 in 2022. He made such an immediate impact during Salernitana’s incredible relegation escape that Atalanta moved quickly to sign him permanently. Since then, he has developed into one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Italy.
The greatest moment of his career so far undoubtedly came in Atalanta’s Europa League-winning campaign in 2024. In a side full of aggressive runners and technically gifted attackers, Ederson became the engine. He covered enormous distances, broke up play constantly and drove the team forward in transition. Atalanta’s run to the trophy included knocking out Liverpool before beating German champions that season, Bayer Leverkusen. Ederson’s performances during the knockout rounds elevated his reputation across the continent.
What makes him such an attractive signing for Manchester United is that he solves several problems at once. United’s midfield has often looked either too passive or too chaotic over the last few seasons. Ederson brings balance. He is physically strong, aggressive in duels and excellent under pressure. Atalanta supporters frequently describe his work as “undercover” because so much of what he does goes unnoticed unless you focus specifically on him. He wins second balls, fills gaps defensively and keeps attacks moving with simple but intelligent passing.
His stamina is another major asset with him covering a huge amount of ground every game. That energy is exactly what United’s midfield has lacked at times, especially when trying to support younger players.
That is where the potential partnership with Kobbie Mainoo becomes exciting. Mainoo’s biggest strengths are his composure, close control and ability to glide through pressure. What he needs alongside him is somebody willing to do the ugly side of midfield play without sacrificing technical quality. Ederson looks tailor-made for that role.
At Atalanta, he has shown he can adapt to different midfield partners and systems. Sometimes he sits deeper and protects the defence, other times he drives forward and presses aggressively higher up the pitch. That flexibility would allow Mainoo to play with more freedom. Instead of constantly worrying about defensive transitions, Mainoo could focus on progressing possession and linking play in advanced areas.
The comparison many fans make is with a younger, more mobile version of Casemiro, but Ederson is arguably cleaner technically and far more dynamic carrying the ball. He is not a flashy playmaker, but he does almost everything else at a high level. United supporters have spent years watching midfields get overrun physically. Ederson looks like the type of player who could finally change that.
Having missed out on Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, the midfielder would be able to hit the ground running too, and enjoy a good pre-season with a whole host of first team players who aren’t going to the USA this summer.
At £35-37m, as has been reported, he could represent excellent value. It does feel more of a gamble going for a player who hasn’t got proven Premier League experience though and the pace of the football here might be a challenge for him.
After the success of last summer and the promise of more games in the season ahead, we need this window to be spot on, and if Ederson is our first signing, let’s hope he mirrors the progress our new lads had last season.