Manchester United in 'conversations' with £51m-rated Europa League winner

Manchester United are being linked with a move for Atalanta star Ederson dos Santos, as per Spanish news outlet AS. The report claims the Red Devils are holding ‘conversations’ with the player who is valued at £51million amid competition from the likes of Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid.

The defensive midfielder, who is 25-years-old, is a Brazil international with two caps under his belt so far in his career. He has been on the books of his current club since joining them in 2022.

United are in the hunt for some more signing between now and the end of the transfer window. The middle of the park is an area that needs bolstering and he could be seen as an ideal option.

Ederson started his career at Desportivo Brasil and broke into their first-team as a youngster. His senior breakthrough saw him emerge on the radar of some other teams and he went on to have spells at Cruzeiro, Corinthians and Fortazela in his native country before heading over to Europe.

Salernitana signed him in January 2022 on a deal until 2026 but he spent only six months there. He played 15 matches for the Italian outfit and scored twice before Atalanta swooped in.

The Campo Grande-born man has established himself as one of the most prized assets at Gewiss Stadium and Gian Piero Gasperini’s side could face a battle to keep hold of him amid attention from elsewhere. He helped them win the Europa League last year after they beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final and they were also runners-up in the Coppa Italia.

Time will tell whether United end up making a move for him over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, their focus will swift on their upcoming clash against Fulham as the curtain raises on the new Premier League season.

Speaking ahead of their match against the Whites, Erik ten Hag has said: “The team is not ready but the league starts. There are more managers who definitely have this problem but we have to make a start.We can't hide from it. We can't run away from it. We have to deal with it.

"It's not about the players who are not available. It's also what I said always last season - it's about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection."

United will want to begin with three points in front of their own fans. They finished down in 8th place last term and will need to do better this time around.

Inconsistency has been an issue over recent times and someone like Ederson could give them more stability in the heart of midfield. Ten Hag was handed a new deal over the summer after they won the FA Cup after beating rivals Manchester City in the final at Wembley.

Pressure could start to mount on the Dutchman though if they don’t get off to a succesful start. They head to Brighton and Hove Albion after their Fulham fixture.