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Fabrizio Romano has revealed why Manchester United are yet to finalise the transfer of Atalanta midfielder Ederson, despite having already agreed personal terms with the Brazilian.

With Casemiro departing on a free transfer and Manuel Ugarte placed on the transfer list, Manchester United plan to strengthen Michael Carrick’s midfield options with two or even three new signings this summer.

As the club prepares for a return to the UEFA Champions League, the focus is on bringing in players capable of making an immediate impact.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is reportedly the top target for INEOS, while Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni is also admired. Carrick, for his part, is said to be eager to work with Sandro Tonali.

However, it initially seemed that Atalanta’s Brazilian international Ederson, who has three caps for his country, would be the first new arrival at Old Trafford.

While that possibility still exists, Fabrizio Romano has now outlined the reasons why the move could be delayed or even called off entirely.

Manchester United have already agreed on personal terms with Ederson and have made a verbal offer of €45 million, which is close to Atalanta’s €45 million to €50 million valuation.

Ederson has reportedly made joining the Red Devils his ‘top priority’, and United have entered ‘advanced’, though still verbal, discussions with Atalanta.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained why the deal might now be in jeopardy.

“Let’s clarify something,” said Romano. “There are two reasons. The first is that Manchester United still need to decide internally whether they actually want to complete the deal for Ederson or pursue other midfield options.

“United are still in discussions inside the club because they have several midfield candidates, not just Ederson.

“So yes, the deal with the player is advanced, and they are in talks with Atalanta. Manchester United even sent a delegation to Italy to discuss Ederson, as well as other possible transfers, both signings and departures.

“The club has been active in Italy, but as of now, the decision to go ahead and finalise the deal has not been made. That’s why there’s no final green light yet. It could happen at any moment. Ederson is waiting for Manchester United.”

The second reason for the delay, according to Romano, is that Atalanta are undergoing significant internal restructuring.

Maurizio Sarri is expected to take over as the new head coach, and the club is also in the process of appointing a new sporting director. Until those positions are confirmed, Atalanta are unwilling to approve any major transfers, particularly one involving a key player like Ederson.

In most cases, clubs decide on their targets before moving forward with negotiations. However, Manchester United appear to be doing the reverse here — advancing talks before confirming whether they actually want to finalise the signing.

There is some logic behind this approach, as United are aiming for multiple midfield additions. By keeping negotiations open, they can move quickly if other transfer pursuits — such as those for Anderson or Tchouameni — fail to materialise.

That scenario seems increasingly likely, with Manchester City currently leading the race for Anderson, having already agreed personal terms with the 23-year-old, while Real Madrid have no intention of selling Tchouameni, and the French midfielder himself has no desire to leave.