Meet Manchester United's signing Ederson - Michael Carrick's newest chess piece who is more than just a destroyer

United are looking to build on a very fine end to the season under Michael Carrick - who has been rewarded with a permanent appointment as head coach - that saw them qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

With Carrick settling quickly into a 4-2-3-1 formation, attention for United this summer has turned to the centre of midfield. Ederson's compatriot Casemiro is leaving upon the expiration of his contract, and there are rumours of a likely departure for his running mate Manuel Ugarte as well.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday that whilst Ederson is the priority for United, they are also looking at players such as Alex Scott, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.

So although it seems likely that United may well add a second player in that position, right now we are focusing on Ederson and what he brings to the team.

The first place to start seems to be around the idea that Ederson is only a defensive player. Make no mistake, he's a great defensive player (more on that later) but to label him as purely a destroyer is to do him a real disservice.

"Ederson is a well-rounded, hard-working midfielder with a very good work-rate," explains TNT Sports' lead Serie A commentator Adam Summerton, who has watched the Brazilian over the past few years in Italy.

"He covers a large amount of ground - that’s a really important thing to say about him, he does a lot of running and pressing. 

"One of his former coaches, Gian Piero Gasperini praised what he called Ederson’s 'monstrous effectiveness' - he will be very useful tactically as he can fulfil different roles, depending on the system and/or who he is playing alongside.

"For example, he has played in both a two and a three-man midfield with Atalanta - he has also played alongside players with different skill-sets and can adjust his game accordingly - two examples being Teun Koopmeiners and Marten De Roon who have very different qualities.

"He’s shown he can play as an 8 or in a deeper role - he can be box-to-box - as I say, he’s well-rounded and good technically. He keeps the ball well (pass completion of 89% in Serie A this season) and mixes up his range of passing - he isn’t just a player who goes backwards and sideways. He’s fairly quick and has also shown a good level of physical strength too, which is really important when coming to the Premier League. 

"I believe his natural instinct before coming to Atalanta was to be more attacking, but he’s said how Gasperini helped make him more rounded and perhaps more pragmatic in his play."

Summerton admits that Ederson doesn't score a lot of goals, but did point out that the Brazilian does have this in his locker. Two goals against Milan - one from last season and another from the one before - demonstrate his goal-scoring ability.

The first one from the end of the 2024/25 season shows off that grass-covering ability, as he gets on the end of a fantastic Atalanta counter to nod home.

The second is more instinctual as he thrashes another one past Mike Maignan following the breakdown of a previous attack.

Clearly there is something there. As Summerton pointed out Ederson has spoken about how he was more attacking in Brazil, and he has a nose for goal.

Can he get to 5-10 goals across all competitions under Carrick? It doesn't seem impossible.

But what about creatively? Well, there we can also see some encouraging potential. Let's take a look at some numbers for Ederson over the past two seasons in Serie A.

The reason we are doing two seasons is because of the fundamental shift that happened to Atlanta at this time last year when Gasperini left and was replaced by first Ivan Juric (who was fired in November) and then Raffaele Palladino.

We have a direct comparison to both Casemiro and Ugarte this season, as well as another rumoured signing in Fernandes from West Ham.

The numbers speak for themselves, particularly in relation to Ugarte. Ederson and Fernandes both have numbers closer to Casemiro, suggesting that they can offer more in the final third of the pitch.

But let's talk about the defensive numbers, because they are certainly impressive.

Here Ugarte can shine, leading the way with both tackles and interceptions, as well as narrowly trailing Casemiro in clearances. Ederson's struggles in that area are something to monitor but his possession won numbers are certainly more encouraging. There is nothing here however to suggest he would be a defensive liability.

Summerton admits that there might be some concerns about Ederson's adaptation, but reiterated that there is something about him that is enticing as a prospective signing.

"Some concerns would be that he took time to adapt to what was needed from him tactically about both Corinthians and Atalanta - he really struggled in his first six months under Gasperini at Atalanta, but then the penny dropped and he became a very important player," Summerton said. "He’s shown good mental strength to come through those tricky periods though. 

"Another slight concern is the added pace of the Premier League in comparison with Serie A. The Italian top flight is not ’slow’ as some people still like to say of it, but it’s a much more tactical league than England and you typically have a little more time on the ball, something he’ll need to adjust to in central midfield. 

"However, during Atalanta’s run to winning the Europa League in 2024 he was a key player in two of the best team performances I’ve ever seen live - a 3-0 win at Anfield against Liverpool and the 3-0 over a previously unbeaten Leverkusen that season in the final. 

"You never quite know how players from other leagues will adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, there are no guarantees in that respect, nor in how a player will adapt mentally to the pressures of being at one of the world’s biggest clubs - but this is a player who’s shown growth, adaptability, versatility and mental strength over a number of years, and so he ticks a lot of boxes. His relentless running and physical strength would also seem to fit well with the Premier League."

Ederson is nearly 27 but yet it still feels as if he has a lot of untapped potential as to what kind of player he could be. It will be fascinating to see how Carrick uses his newest chess piece when United kick off again.

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