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Manchester United pursue French midfielder as Fabrizio Romano hints Ederson deal may collapse
Deepa Krishnaswamy | July 10, 2026 8:38 AM CST

A fully agreed transfer for Manchester United may be in jeopardy at the final moment, following a stunning update from Fabrizio Romano.

The top priority for Manchester United entering the summer transfer window has been a complete overhaul of their midfield setup.

Casemiro’s tenure at Old Trafford has come to an end, with the veteran Brazilian departing as a free agent. Before Manuel Ugarte suffered an ACL injury, United had already decided to move him on.

With their return to the Champions League also in mind, the Red Devils had planned to bring in three new midfielders during this window.

The first of those signings appeared to be nearly wrapped up, as United and Atalanta reached a club-to-club agreement for the transfer of Ederson around six weeks ago.

The deal was reportedly valued at €45 million (£38 million), and personal terms with the Brazilian were also finalised.

However, matters became complicated soon after, starting with Ederson receiving a late call-up to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the World Cup.

He was drafted in as a last-minute replacement for full-back Wesley, who sustained an injury during Brazil’s final warm-up match before the tournament.

As a result, with Ederson occupied by international duty in North America, he only managed to complete part of his medical remotely.

Since then, Manchester United have been waiting for the 27-year-old to arrive in England to undertake a more comprehensive medical examination. Following Brazil’s World Cup exit in the Round of 16, Ederson has now landed in the UK.

Despite this, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that although Ederson has finished the first stage of his additional medical, his latest update has sparked speculation that United could be preparing to abandon the deal.

Speaking on YouTube, Romano explained on Thursday evening: “Ederson has already completed the first part of the extra medical.

“There will be a second part, and at any moment now, Manchester United will announce their final decision on the Ederson deal.

“Right now, the move is on hold. It is verbally agreed between Manchester United and Atalanta, and also between Manchester United and Ederson himself.

“The first part of the medical was done in the USA. United wanted further checks. These additional tests are happening in England, after which the club will inform Atalanta and the player’s representatives whether they plan to continue or call the deal off.”

If Manchester United were fully confident about Ederson, they would likely proceed immediately upon his successful completion of the medical assessments.

However, Romano’s insistence that the club still needs to decide whether to move forward, even if Ederson passes all checks, suggests that new doubts have emerged within the club regarding the transfer.

Another reliable journalist, Ben Jacobs, has also indicated that Ederson’s transfer to Old Trafford is far from certain.

Speaking on TheUnitedStand, Jacobs stressed that the prospect of United walking away from the deal cannot be ruled out.

In addition, Jacobs revealed that United have now made enquiries regarding the possible signing of Roma and France midfielder Manu Kone.

The 25-year-old, who is also known by his full name Kouadio Kone, has started four of France’s six World Cup matches so far.

“Kone — they (Manchester United) have made enquiries,” Jacobs said.

“I’m not sure there’s much more to it yet, but let’s see if they react again in case the Ederson deal falls through.

“I don’t think we can completely rule that one out.”

Meanwhile, Manchester United have had no such uncertainty surrounding the transfer of Andrey Santos, who successfully completed his medical on Thursday.

Santos is set to join from Chelsea for £50 million (£48 million plus £2 million in add-ons). The 22-year-old will sign a five-year contract with an option for a sixth season on Friday.


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