Manchester United's Midfield Shake-Up: Ederson as Casemiro's Successor
Manchester United are preparing a major midfield shake-up and Atalanta’s Ederson has moved to the top of the list as the club’s preferred Casemiro successor, with Michael Carrick also eyeing a bold move off the pitch.
Champions League qualification, sealed on Sunday after a season without any European football, has jolted United into action. Carrick’s impact as interim boss has been dramatic – wins piling up, Liverpool beaten, standards raised – and whether he keeps the job or not, the club is gearing up for a squad rebuild built around competing at the highest level again.
Midfield is the first surgery point. Manuel Ugarte is expected to move on after a flat spell, Casemiro is definitely heading for the exit, and the gap he leaves is enormous.
Ederson moves to the front of the queue
United believe they’ve found the answer in Bergamo. Ederson has been tracked for some time and the club are now described as being in “pole position” to sign the Brazilian from Atalanta.
As they hunt for a direct Casemiro replacement, Ederson has been internally tagged as the “perfect player for a significant investment” – the kind of anchor United can build a new midfield around.
One major rival seems to be slipping away. Atletico Madrid have also admired the 24-year-old but are understood to be unwilling to go to Atalanta’s price, which could reach up to €50million (£43.3m). That stance has given United a clearer run.
Talks between United and Atalanta have ramped up in recent days, with contacts described as having “intensified” as the Premier League side push to get ahead of the competition.
Carrick’s vision goes beyond the pitch
If Carrick is rewarded with the job on a permanent basis – and his record makes that a very live possibility – his plans don’t stop at new signings. He wants to reshape the staff around him as well.
United are keeping a close eye on Bayern Munich assistant Aaron Danks, a coach Carrick is keen to bring into his backroom team next season.
The pair know each other well. They worked side by side at Middlesbrough before Danks made the jump to Bayern, and there is a growing sense they could reunite at Old Trafford after both leaving Teesside and thriving in bigger arenas.
United have already carried out background checks on Danks and, according to sources, have been impressed with everything that has come back.
Van de Ven price and wage demands laid out
At the back, United’s recruitment team also know exactly what it would take to lure Micky van de Ven away from Tottenham.
The Dutch defender is drawing admiring glances from several heavyweights, with United and Liverpool among the clubs linked ahead of a possible move away from north London.
Tottenham, though, will drive a hard bargain. Reports indicate they will demand between £60m and £80m for Van de Ven, a fee that immediately tests how serious any suitor really is.
Then there’s the contract. Van de Ven is said to want a big jump from his current £90,000 per week to around £200,000 if he is to leave Spurs. That’s the financial landscape on the table for United and any other club tempted to make a move.
The numbers are clear. The targets are defined. Now United must decide just how deep they are willing to dig to turn Carrick’s early revival into a long-term rebuild.
