Ederson’s Transfer Complications for Manchester United

Manchester United’s first major move of the Michael Carrick era is on track – but it will not be straightforward.

United have agreed a deal worth an initial £35 million with Atalanta for midfielder Ederson, a signing earmarked as the club’s new anchor in midfield after Casemiro’s departure from Old Trafford. The plan was clear: get it done early, get him in for pre-season, and start building around him.

Then Brazil called.

The 26-year-old has been drafted into the Selecao squad for the 2026 World Cup after an injury to Roma right-back Wesley opened up a late spot. Ederson had been left out of the original list, but Brazil have turned to him as cover, handing him a route back into the international picture in North America.

He heads to the tournament with three caps to his name, though he has not featured for Brazil since 2025. That hiatus now ends at the biggest stage of all.

For United, the timing is awkward. The club still expect the transfer to be finalised imminently, with all sides aligned on the move. Yet any hopes of Carrick getting immediate, hands-on time with his first signing have faded. Ederson will not report for pre-season until after Brazil’s World Cup campaign is over.

It is a trade-off United will accept. A player arriving with World Cup minutes in his legs, and confidence from a recall to one of the game’s most demanding national teams, is a compelling prospect for a side rebuilding its midfield identity.

His addition would also nudge United’s World Cup contingent into remarkable territory. The club already have 12 players involved at the tournament; once Ederson’s transfer is confirmed, that number climbs to 13 – a snapshot of both the scale of their squad and the expectations around Carrick’s reign.

The deal is still expected to go through. The wait to see Ederson in a United shirt, though, will now stretch beyond the summer’s biggest show.