Manchester United table £42m bid for Serie A star as club officials fly to Italy to seal deal before weekend.

Manchester United table £42m bid for Serie A star as club officials fly to Italy to seal deal before weekend.

Manchester United have submitted a £42million bid for Atalanta midfielder Ederson after staging a meeting in Italy, according to reports.

The Red Devils are believed to be eyeing reinforcements in the engine room as Erik ten Hag looks to prepare his squad for the new Premier League campaign.

A move for Manuel Ugarte remains firmly on the cards, with reports in Germany stating that United have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Paris Saint-Germain. Ugarte is expected to join United on either a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy.

It seems United are interested in following up the signing of Ugarte by securing a move for Ederson ahead of next week’s transfer deadline. According to Alfredo Pedulla, the Red Devils submitted a bid in the region of £42m after meeting with Atalanta bosses on Wednesday.

The report states that United officials flew to Italy earlier this week to sort out the paperwork relating to Rasmus Hojlund’s transfer last summer. While in the country, they spoke to Atalanta about the possibility of signing Ederson and ended up tabling a £42m bid.

Atalanta were said to have immediately rejected the offer, citing their desire to keep Ederson with only a few days until the transfer window slams shut. It remains to be seen if United will try to tempt them with another bid in advance of next week’s all-important deadline.

Ederson helped Atalanta to win the Europa League last season and made his international debut for Brazil earlier this summer. He remains tied down until 2027, meaning Atalanta are under no immediate pressure to sell him to United or any other club.

Liverpool reportedly sent scouts to watch Ederson play at the end of last season and they were said to have been left impressed by what they saw. However, there is no suggestion that a bid is forthcoming with Atalanta determined to keep him beyond the end of the window.

United have already welcomed a host of new faces to Old Trafford this summer with the Red Devils showing little hesitation in splashing their cash. They have spent nearly £140m on the signings of Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

Ugarte is likely to be confirmed as their next arrival in the coming days with negotiations believed to be progressing well behind the scenes. However, it seems they are unlikely to land Ederson given Atalanta’s firm stance against letting him leave before the window closes.