Manchester United evaluate replacements for Ederson, with Gomes also a candidate! Details of a canceled transfer revealed

The question of whether Manchester United will sign 27-year-old Brazilian midfielder Ederson led to disagreements among numerous transfer experts on Friday. Fabrizio Romano, the Italian transfer guru, maintained that the deal has been entirely canceled because Ederson's medical examinations twice yielded poor results. Others claim no final decision has been reached, but Romano stated that his information comes from the seller, Serie A side Atalanta, who were informed by Manchester United that the transfer would not go through. Therefore, Ederson's move to the Red Devils is a fact, though not yet publicly announced.

There may never be an official announcement, since neither party ever declared the deal had been agreed. Romano explained: "Over the past seven to ten days, I kept telling everyone that it depended on the medical, and we had to wait for the check-up to determine the next steps. Now it's settled—Atalanta received formal notice that Ederson's transfer is off, and he will not be moving to Manchester United."

Regarding those who say Ederson's transfer to United is still alive, Romano responded: "Many of you keep telling me that sources from Manchester United indicate the deal is not canceled and they are still working on it. I respect United's and other journalists' views, but my exclusive information is that Atalanta received a notification from the other club tonight (Friday) saying Ederson will not go to Manchester United. Others can say what they want—everyone has their own sources. My source is Atalanta, and that is the fact. I don't know when they will present the full story from every angle."

Alongside canceling the Ederson move, Manchester United have confirmed a £50 million deal for Chelsea midfielder Andre Santos, another Brazilian. Romano confirmed: "Ederson will not join United, but Santos is a done deal. His medical was normal, everything is complete. He will sign a five-year contract with an option for an extra season. Santos joining Manchester United is 100% certain."

In the summer window, United plan to bring in three new midfielders—Ederson is off, Santos is on, so far only one is completed. The transfer department must now re-evaluate candidates and choose a replacement for Ederson, who was the cheapest of the three planned signings. If he had joined, the fixed fee was £35 million plus less than £4 million in add-ons.

Therefore, rumors that United are considering Roma's French international Khephren Thuram as a replacement for Ederson may be inaccurate, because the 25-year-old Thuram's price tag would not be below £50 million, placing him in a different bracket from Ederson. ESPN's Rob Dawson claims that Wolves' João Gomes is the alternative to Ederson, as their price tags are similar.

Interestingly, this transfer storyline for United almost mirrors that of La Liga giants Atletico Madrid this summer. Diego Simeone's side also first targeted Ederson, then gave up, and then turned to Gomes. However, in the end, the "Colchoneros" also did not sign the Brazilian midfielder; instead, they brought in Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand for €45 million. Coincidentally, during Ruben Amorim's tenure at Manchester United, Hjulmand was long linked with the club.

Brazil's "Globo" reports that the reason 25-year-old Gomes's move to Atletico fell through was the intervention of Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes.

Romano added: "One of United's rumored targets is Gomes, who will not join Atletico. This deal didn't collapse today—it was off weeks ago, sometime between late June and early July. Atletico and Wolves had deep negotiations, came very close, but couldn't finalize it, and the talks broke down. Atletico signed Hjulmand, who completed his medical and signed. So Gomes is still on the market, and with his ability level, he won't settle for the Championship. So in the coming weeks, more rumors will emerge, and new clubs will contact Wolves for negotiations."

One speculation is that United's initial plan was to sign three new midfielders at different price levels, but due to changes in the market environment, they may now consider switching to signing three new arrivals each costing around £50 million.