Ederson: Why Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool are scrambling to sign Atalanta star

Atalanta midfielder Ederson is a wanted man, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all following the midfielder.

Ederson won’t come cheap, though. The 25-year-old has had a price tag of €60 million slapped on his head by Atalanta, according to TeamTalk.

But why is he attracting some of the biggest clubs in the world to sign him? And is he worth the money?

Ederson: Strengths and weaknesses

Ederson is a multipurpose midfielder. He is typically used by Atalanta as a box-to-box player but can also operate in a role in front of the defence more akin to a ball-winner or a deep-lying playmaker.

Comparisons can be drawn to the likes of Moises Caicedo of Chelsea or Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga. At Man Utd, he is most like youngster Kobbie Mainoo, while he could be a direct replacement for Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool.

According to data analytics firm SciSports, he is one of the leading central midfielders in Serie A this season and has been performing around this standard for 18 months.

He particularly caught the eye as Atalanta won the Europa League last season, with his tenacity and stamina two standout qualities as La Dea blew away Bayer Leverkusen in the final.

While he arguably does not have a superstrength, what is notable about Ederson is that there is no discernible weakness in his play. His technical ability is strong, and he is also capable in terms of his reading of the game and positioning.

As such, it’s little surprise to see the likes of Man Utd, City and Liverpool following such a player.

How much will Ederson cost?

Atalanta want suitors to offer them a “monster” fee for Ederson. An offer of around €60m is the figure the Serie A club are hoping for.

This is far in excess of his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €26.8m, yet with three Premier League giants all following his progress closely, there is a chance they might reach this figure if a bidding war erupts.

Crucially, it is claimed that no January deal is likely.

Which move suits him best?

Manchester City should be at the head of Ederson’s personal shortlist when just Pep Guardiola’s side, Man Utd and Liverpool are considered.

SciSports’ Career Advice tool scores the Cityzens at 67 on their Club Fit metric, which measures a range of factors from potential development, playing time, style and formation.

This is a relatively modest score and is only one better than both Manchester United and Liverpool.

Playing time could be particularly hard to come by at City and Liverpool, SciSports reports, yet both clubs offer Ederson greater development opportunities.

What should also be noted is that these figures do not take into account the Ruben Amorim influence at Man Utd as the Portuguese has not been at the club long enough for his impact to be felt analytically.

Ederson’s best transfer option is Bayern Munich, who earn a Club Fit score of 81. Not only do they have the capacity to allow him to reach his best, he would get more regular game time and they have a playing style that optimises his qualities.

Atletico Madrid come next with a score of 78. Diego Simeone’s side are consistently solid across the disciplines.

If Ederson has his heart truly set on the Premier League, West Ham and Tottenham offer more attractive options, with both clubs scoring 73 on the Club Fit metric.