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Manchester United’s efforts to bolster their midfield have taken a surprising turn, with reports revealing that the club is in “advanced talks” to sign Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Meanwhile, hopes of landing Atalanta’s Ederson have not been completely abandoned.

This summer has been a challenging one for INEOS and Manchester United in their pursuit of strengthening the midfield. The Red Devils have already missed out on top target Elliot Anderson and were priced out of moves for Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, both of whom have joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Although United have reached an agreement with Chelsea for Andrey Santos in a deal worth up to £50 million, questions have remained regarding their other targets. Sources throughout the summer have made it clear that the club intends to bring in at least two, and possibly three, new midfielders.

According to respected journalist David Ornstein, United have now re-entered the race to sign Tielemans, a player they have admired for years since his days at Leicester City. Ornstein reports that “advanced talks” are ongoing for the 29-year-old Belgium international, with all parties engaged in discussions to finalise an agreement.

He further adds that Tielemans himself is “keen” on the move. The Daily Telegraph’s John Percy has provided additional details, stating that United will pay £35 million for the experienced midfielder, who holds 90 international caps for Belgium. The reduced fee is due to a release clause in his Aston Villa contract.

Ornstein also notes that Aston Villa attempted to offer Tielemans a new deal to remove the release clause, but had to accept United’s approach once the player made his intentions clear. The Sun’s Manchester United correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, has reported that a medical for Tielemans is scheduled for Tuesday.

This development comes after United appeared to cool their interest in Ederson, despite having agreed a £35 million fee with Atalanta before the World Cup. Although rumours suggested that the deal had collapsed, Ornstein maintains that the move could still be revived later in the transfer window.

Reports over the weekend indicated that United’s hesitation stemmed from medical tests that raised concerns about Ederson’s right knee. Atalanta, however, insist that the midfielder is fully fit. For now, United have paused the deal and are exploring other options.

TEAMtalk understands that United have initiated contact regarding potential moves for Wolves’ Joao Gomes and Roma’s Manu Kone. Providing an update on the situation, Fabrizio Romano stated: “Atalanta have received formal confirmation that the Ederson deal is off. The message from Atalanta is very clear — the transfer is not happening.”

Romano added, “Atalanta believe Ederson is 100 per cent fit and ready to play, just as he was during the World Cup with Brazil. They are happy to welcome him back with one year left on his contract.”

“Manchester United wanted to conduct additional medical checks, and after several rounds of testing, decided to call off the transfer. So the Ederson move is not happening,” Romano concluded.

Romano has since reported that Ederson has left England following his medical evaluations. Disappointed that his dream move has fallen through, he plans to take a short holiday before rejoining his Serie A side.

Nevertheless, Ornstein suggests that Manchester United may “revisit the move” later in the window if other targets do not materialise. However, with the Tielemans deal progressing rapidly, the likelihood of Ederson joining appears to be diminishing.

Should the 29-year-old Belgian complete his transfer, United will be signing one of the Premier League’s most versatile and technically gifted midfielders. Tielemans played a key role in Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph last season, scoring in the final, and is now set to leave Villa Park after 134 appearances under Unai Emery.