Manchester United are close to signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who is set to become the club's first signing of the summer
Ederson of Atalanta.
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Manchester United are close to agreeing a £38million deal to make Atalanta midfielder Ederson their first signing of the summer, so what kind of player can fans expect to watch at Old Trafford?
Ederson can play as a deep-lying midfielder or as a No.8. In his own words, he's a bit of an all-rounder. "My features are the ability to keep the ball, and the strength. I can play both defensive and attacking football. I find it easy to attack the space," he said when he signed for Atalanta.
In the same interview, the 26-year-old outlined an ambition to play Champions League football. "I am a physical player, I need to be fit now to help the team. I will work hard to be ready," he explained.
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"I will need all of this because we will have important fixtures from the very beginning. The manager has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve. First of all, I would like to return to the Champions League.
"When we started negotiating, it was one of the goals, my dream is to play in the Champions League. When they told me this, I was even happier and more motivated.
"The club wants to get back into the Champions League, they should be in it this year because they are a great team. I think that's the main goal. I want to help Atalanta to win trophies and return to the Champions League."
Ederson has worn the No.13 shirt during his time at Atalanta. "I get this question a lot, it’s because my wife asked me to use it because she was born on the 13th of July," he said of his number choice.
"She feels good about this number, it has brought her luck since childhood. She asked me to use it in other teams and I did not use it. When I went to Fortaleza I started to use it and I was very happy there.
"I had good stats and scored goals. It was a great time in my career, that's why I’m keeping this number. Today I also have a tattoo with the number 13, for her, because she is my lucky charm and 13 is a lucky number for us."
Patrick Dorgu currently wears the No. 13 shirt in United's dressing room, though, and he's unlikely to give it up, as he's worn the number ever since his time with Midtjylland, and it was his number at Lecce.
Ederson will need a new shirt number.
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Gian Piero Gasperini was Atalanta's manager when he arrived in Bergamo, and he credits the Italian coach with helping him to improve. "He transmits it to us, he tells us to be aggressive, to press. We're used to it," Ederson said of Gasperini.
"In the past, I went to attack and Gasp made me become a little more practical, it's not easy. He's someone who wants to improve even the smallest details. After a few months I understood what he was asking for, after six months let's say that I understood what I had to do even if I know that I have to improve some aspects.
"Gasperini is tough as a coach, he always asks you to work, but then you see that you can do well, which is no coincidence. He's raised the level of all the players who he coached."
Ederson should learn even more under Michael Carrick, and those who know him best believe he still has more to offer, like Walter Sabatini, who was the sporting director who brought Ederson to Italy from Brazil.
In an interview with Flashscore, Sabatini said: "It only took me one look. I liked him immediately and thought he could help Salernitana stay up. He was an important player, but that year there were many who made a decisive contribution. He did well at Atalanta, but I think he can do even better.
"So far, he has played at 60 per cent of his potential. He’s a player with exceptional athletic and technical resources, so I expect him to keep improving. I truly wish him all the best as he continues to grow."
Ederson should have no problem adapting to the Premier League.