Manchester United will continue to sign a new midfielder, with Scott still being a target! If they cannot buy him, they may revisit Ederson later.

Manchester United has confirmed the signing of two new midfielders, Andre Santos and Youri Tielemans, within a week, but this is not the end of their summer midfield transfer activity. David Ornstein, a reliable source from The Athletic, confirmed that United will add one more midfielder.

Ornstein said: "Manchester United has a very clear plan for the midfielders they want to bring in. I envision they will look at their current squad, including Kobbie Mainoo, Santos, and the soon-to-arrive Tielemans. Carrick definitely still wants a player who is fast, has a wide range of coverage, and can complement the existing players. For example, beyond ball control and organizational ability, United needs a player who can run and jump—they are very clear about that. So, it will be very interesting to see which direction the Red Devils ultimately choose."

According to the Manchester Evening News, if possible, Manchester United considers Alex Scott their favorite and desired third midfielder. Although the 22-year-old Bournemouth player was originally a No. 8, he impressed United last season while playing as a No. 6, and they believe he could become an ideal piece for their midfield puzzle.

As is well known, Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team prefer new signings with Premier League experience, and Scott also meets this criterion. Therefore, he remains the club's top choice among £80 million-level midfielders, ahead of candidates like Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in Ligue 1 and Felix Nmecha from Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Of course, if they cannot acquire a player of this caliber, United may lower their standards and continue to sign more cost-effective targets. One option is Wolves' Brazilian defensive midfielder João Gomes from the Championship, whose transfer fee would be between £30 million and £40 million. Another frequently mentioned candidate is Roma's French international Kone, with Roma valuing him at over €55 million.

More surprisingly, both Ornstein and BBC's Simon Stone insist that the transfer of Atalanta's 27-year-old Brazilian defensive midfielder Ederson is only temporarily on hold (Ederson deal off - FOR NOW). After two medical examinations revealed knee injury concerns, the originally agreed £39 million transfer will certainly not proceed.

But Stone noted: "Sources say this transfer could be revived later in the summer window, depending on how United's transfer window develops, and the club will not approve any transfer under the previously agreed terms. Club officials say they sympathize with Ederson, but they believe they must act in Manchester United's best interests. Furthermore, signing Santos was not caused by the issues with Ederson."

In other words, United might approach Atalanta again at the end of the summer window, hoping to sign Ederson on a cut-price deal below £39 million. In this transaction, the Red Devils seem to be imitating Barcelona's handling of the Rashford transfer!

Of course, Atalanta may also dislike such tactics, just as United did with Barcelona, and the Serie A club wants to renew the player's contract. Ornstein explained: "Last month, a transfer agreement for Ederson was reached, and personal terms with the Brazilian international were also finalized. Before Ederson was urgently called up for the national team's World Cup squad, he had undergone initial medical checks. Meanwhile, United continued their background work, which allowed them to quickly adjust after completing the second round of medical examinations."

Ornstein added: "But United may still revisit Ederson's situation later in the transfer window to further strengthen Carrick's midfield, not limited to signing Tielemans and Santos. However, it is currently unclear whether Atalanta and Ederson will agree."