Manchester United have identified Éderson as a potential recruit to fill the gap left by Casemiro’s summer departure, and sporting director Jason Wilcox is understood to be personally monitoring the 26-year-old Atalanta midfielder.
The interest is practical as well as immediate: Éderson is valued at roughly €40m–50m, or about £35m–£45m, a price that undercuts several of United’s other midfield targets and fits a summer strategy that aims to bring in two new midfielders.
The price comparison is stark. United’s shortlist for central midfield also includes Aurélien Tchouaméni, who would cost around £70m, Adam Wharton, who would cost at least £60m, and Carlos Baleba, whom the club value at about £50m. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is on the radar too, though Forest may only listen to offers starting at £100m. Against those figures, Éderson’s valuation has attracted attention inside Old Trafford.
Wilcox’s interest in Éderson has been reported externally, and club officials have drawn up a list of possible replacements for Casemiro as they prepare for the veteran’s contract expiry at the end of the season. reported that Wilcox is an admirer and is monitoring Éderson, a development that has accelerated scouting and internal discussions about how to assemble a midfield without overspending.
The composition of that midfield has a direct bearing on Manchester United’s current squad management. Manuel Ugarte, signed for £51m, has rarely featured this season and could be sold or loaned in the summer — a move that would free resources and roster space if the club choose to pursue another deep-lying midfielder or a box-to-box player like Éderson.
Éderson’s profile matches the role United appear to be seeking. He joined Atalanta in January 2022 from Salernitana after spells at Cruzeiro, Corinthians and Fortaleza, and he has been capped three times by Brazil since making his international debut in a friendly against Mexico in June 2024. His last Brazil appearance came in a 4-1 loss to Argentina in March 2025. He remains under contract at Atalanta until June 2027.
A former manager described Éderson as having "great physical strength, with the ability to play box-to-box, back and forth, sustaining the pace of the game," a profile that would allow him to cover ground in front of United’s defense while contributing to transitions. That versatility helps explain why Wilcox has added him to a list that already includes technically different options.
The tension for United is straightforward: balance the desire for top-end talent with budgetary and squad constraints. Spending into triple figures on a target such as Elliot Anderson or meeting a £70m valuation for Tchouaméni would deliver a different kind of upgrade but would also commit large sums at a time the club may prefer to refresh two midfield positions. By contrast, Éderson offers a lower-cost route to a player who can operate box-to-box and reinforce midfield energy immediately.
What happens next is governed by two linked decisions. United must decide whether to convert interest into a bid for Éderson — who is priced in the €40m–50m range and is contracted until June 2027 — or to pursue the pricier alternatives on their list. At the same time, the club will have to resolve Manuel Ugarte’s future; shifting him on would create a clear financial and squad opening for one of the incoming midfielders.
If Wilcox pursues Éderson, the move would signal a pragmatic, cost-aware approach to replacing Casemiro rather than an all‑out chase of more expensive midfield stars. The summer window will show whether United choose that pragmatism or opt to spend heavily on marquee names to accelerate the rebuild.
