Manchester United's recruitment officially begins, with a transfer executive flying to finalize the first signing! Next step could be an £86 million deal for Tonali.

Manchester United has finished their campaign, and next on the agenda after evaluating the past year is the crucial business of transfers. The club's recruitment team has departed from England, traveling to Italy to complete the first new arrival. 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder Ederson is seen as an ideal match for Carrick’s system and is reasonably priced, which could make him the first signing.

After securing a Champions League spot, United's summer budget is certainly over £200 million. The club will sign more than one midfielder in the summer transfer window, as competing on all fronts requires a very strong squad. The current defensive midfield options are too weak, especially after Casemiro's departure.

According to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United is close to reaching an agreement with Atalanta for Ederson, with negotiations progressing smoothly. The club's transfer director, Christopher Vivell, along with his team, has flown to Bergamo, Italy, to finalize the potential deal.

Ederson currently has one year left on his contract with Atalanta. Having missed out on Brazil's World Cup squad, his summer task is solely to secure his next club. It's worth noting that Ederson is just one of United's options. They want to negotiate his deal first, but whether the club will ultimately approve the transfer remains to be seen. Of course, the likelihood of the signing is very high.

Ederson’s strengths lie in his versatility, good technical skills and ball control, and hardworking attitude. He is well-suited to form a double pivot with academy star Kobbie Mainoo, who recently renewed his contract with United. Moreover, Ederson accepts that he may not be a guaranteed starter, has experience in European competitions, and is an ideal target for United.

This season, Carrick primarily used fifteen or sixteen players as regular starters in the Premier League, with the lineup staying mostly consistent. However, with multiple competitions next season, he will have to rotate more to cope with the dense schedule after returning to the Champions League. Therefore, the transfer department believes Ederson could be one of the ideal midfield signings.

Certainly, Ederson cannot fill the void left by Casemiro, especially during the "Fat Tiger's" peak seasons when he had strong goalscoring ability. This season, Casemiro scored 9 goals, a career high. In contrast, Ederson has only had one season with more than 5 goals in his career, which was in 2023/24 when he scored 7 goals, including 6 in Serie A.

According to Italian Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester United is highly likely to sign Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali in the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old Italian international has a gentleman's agreement with the "Magpies" that allows him to leave this summer if the team fails to qualify for the Champions League.

Di Marzio states that Newcastle may demand a transfer fee of around £86 million. While United publicly claims it’s too expensive, they are actually willing to pay such a fee for a new midfielder. For comparison, 23-year-old England international Elliot Anderson is even more expensive, with Nottingham Forest asking for over £100 million.

Compared to Ederson, Tonali, while not the most prolific scorer, has better organizational skills and extensive Premier League experience, proving his ability to play at the highest level, including the Champions League. Ederson could be a decent addition for United, but without a doubt, Tonali is a tier above him.