Ederson does not understand the failure of his transfer to Manchester United

Brazilian midfielder Éderson joined Atalanta in 2026 after the collapse of his transfer to Manchester United, which he still doesn’t understand. According to sources cited by ESPN FC, the Red Devils had initially offered Atalanta £35 million (around $47 million) with an additional £4 million in potential bonuses. After passing a medical in the United States while on international duty with Brazil for the World Cup, Éderson traveled to England for further specialist tests. Yet the move ultimately fell through.

  Speaking to *Sky Italia*, Éderson said: “Honestly, I don’t know what happened.” The player explained that he had always drawn interest from other clubs, including English sides. “The medicals went well, I don’t know what changed. I’ve been at Atalanta for four years and have always played here.” He added that despite the opportunity, he chose to stay at the club because of an excellent relationship with the board, signing a new contract that runs for four years with an additional one-year option.

A new contract to turn the page

Since signing with Atalanta, Manchester United have recruited two midfielders in Éderson’s position: Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Last week, the club also completed the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton for an initial £65 million (around $88.7 million), plus up to £5 million in potential add-ons. Éderson, now Atalanta’s captain, guided his team to a 0-0 draw in the Europa Conference play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Thursday, followed by a 2-1 Serie A win over Sassuolo on Sunday. Manchester United, meanwhile, will face Ipswich Town next after opening their season with a 2-0 loss to Hull City.

A career marked by missed opportunities

The Brazilian midfielder revealed that he could have waited to see how the situation evolved, but it was the relationship of trust with Atalanta that convinced him to extend his adventure. "I could have waited, but the great rapport with the club pushed me to sign." His recent experience shows that he has bounced back from this setback, establishing himself as a key figure within his new club. For Manchester United, this affair illustrates the difficulties encountered in recruiting talent, despite significant investments in the sector. While the Manchester club continues to strengthen its squad, Ederson, for his part, is focusing on his season with Atalanta, where he now plays a key role. Manchester United supporters will, for their part, have to make do with new arrivals like Tielemans or Baleba to fill the void left by the failure of this transfer.