Man Utd and Man City square off in transfer battle for Liverpool target as 'monster' demand emerges

Ederson is excited at the prospect of a Premier League move but it will take a ‘monster’ offer for Atalanta to sell the midfielder in January, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The 25-year-old is attracting interest from Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and more, but for now, he is starring for the Italian side.

Last season, Ederson scored seven goals in 53 games as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team romped to Europa League glory. And his sparkling form has not stopped for the Serie A outfit – who are second in the league and fourth in the Champions League group stage table.

TEAMtalk previously revealed that City made contact with the Brazil international, as manager Pep Guardiola sought to find cover for the injured Rodri.

Now, our sources can confirm both Manchester teams have spoken to the player’s entourage to sound out the possibility of a January move.

We understand that Ederson has expressed his pleasure at the idea of heading to the Premier League but a summer transfer is preferred as he wants to help Atalanta have a successful season.

He does not have a possible destination preference, with Liverpool also in discussions over a potential transfer. But it will take a ‘monster’ bid from a potential suitor to prise him away from Atalanta in the winter transfer window – with the Italian highflyers wanting at least €60m (£50m, $63m) to secure his signature.

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Atalanta’s transfer stance

TEAMtalk understands that Ederson, who was pushing for an Atalanta exit for a time, has gone from being a player Gasperini had doubts about to a key player at the club.

There is an agreement with the veteran manager that Atalanta will not lose important players in the middle of the season, including Ederson and winger Ademola Lookman.

At best, they would let one player go but as they have a chance to win the Serie A title – something they have not done in their entire 117-year history – retaining their biggest assets is of the utmost importance.

Moreover, they are in a relatively strong position as Ederson’s contract runs for another two-and-a-half years, whereas Lookman’s deal expires in 2026.

If Atalanta continue to thrive in Europe and the league, they will be able to slap huge price tags on the heads of many of their biggest stars.

Premier League transfer roundup

New United boss Ruben Amorim’s ‘highest priority’ in the transfer market is to sign a new left-footed defender, but another target has emerged alongside Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

The Red Devils have been tracking the Canada international for some time now and even though he will be a free agent next summer, they are also looking at AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk revealed that Liverpool are trying to tie Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold down to new deals at the club.

The trio are out of contract in 2025 and for the time being, it seems the Dutch centre-back is the most likely to remain at Anfield beyond this season.

Finally, City are inching closer to extending the contract of star striker Erling Haaland, amid reports he could head for the Etihad exit door.

Who is Atalanta’s Ederson?

By Samuel Bannister

No, he isn’t the Manchester City goalkeeper. Ederson of Atalanta has been making his own name over the past couple of years with his rise to prominence in Italian football.

It took a long time for Ederson to settle at a club as he embarked on a winding road to where he is now, but he has since established himself as a key player for a side regularly challenging in the European places and earned his senior Brazil debut in the summer of 2024.

Starting out at Desportivo Brasil and also having a brief spell in China with Shandong Luneng as an academy player, Ederson earned a move to Cruzeiro in 2018 and got more chances than expected, standing out as one of their best players in the 2019 Serie A campaign even though it ended in relegation.

A dispute between player and club followed, with Ederson ultimately allowed to join Corinthians. He later had a loan spell with Fortaleza, whom he helped qualify for the Copa Libertadores.

But he would not get to represent them in it, as he moved to Italy with Salernitana in January 2022 and stood out for a side who narrowly avoided relegation. Within just six months, he had shown enough that he was above Salernitana’s level, and Atalanta bought him.

Since then, Ederson has found stability, even becoming a Europa League champion in 2024. A dynamic midfielder, Ederson is energetic and can influence the game from an attacking or defensive viewpoint.

Ederson is pretty much the full package as a midfielder, apart from goalscoring (although he did get seven last season). He can pass as efficiently as he can tackle or intercept, making him perfect for playing on the transition.

In terms of his role, the right-footer can operate as a holding midfielder or as part of a pairing in the middle of the park. He did play further forward for Atalanta at first, but has fared much better with a slightly deeper deployment. However he is instructed to operate, Ederson works like a machine and wins duels galore.

Ederson could well be a manager’s dream and it might not be long before clubs are battling to take him out of Bergamo.

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