Everton recently signed Hayden Hackney but could yet sign another midfielder – and the Toffees should be considering a former Manchester United target.
Hackney has arrived for an initial £16.5 million, but doubts over Charly Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam may point to further activity.
Idrissa Gana Gueye also may not be returning, and is technically now a free agent.
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In recent days, Manchester United have completed moves for Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
And that is significant because it now means they won’t be signing Ederson – who United actually agreed a £35m deal for previously (via BBC Sport). Fabrizio Romano has said Ederson won’t be going there now.
With the Brazilian not heading to Old Trafford, Everton should now consider making a move of their own.
Ederson could be a statement signing by Everton
Ederson has had four successful seasons at Atalanta.
The star joined the club from Salernitana in 2022, and has racked up 180 appearances for the Italian side.
Ederson can be described as a ball-winning box-to-box player who has a lot of energy.
He has mainly been paired with more defensive-minded midfielders at Atalanta, allowing him to cover more ground and make use of his terrific engine.
He brings real dynamism and also strong positional awareness, excelling in Atalanta’s man-to-man pressing system, which was so effective in their Europa League triumph in 2024.
He hassles and harries, and is also able to protect the ball well himself using his body.
As per The Athletic, he is ‘a player who relishes the hustle and bustle of midfield play’. They add: “He likes to get busy. He’s strong in the tackle, solid in the air, sensible in his passing, and hoovers up ground when it’s time to stop a counter-attack.”
Ederson can sometimes get into trouble on the ball and isn’t the most press-resistant. And he can also be a little safe at times.
But that energy would likely be greatly appreciated by David Moyes at Everton, especially if he is going to lose both Gueye and Iroegbunam.
Ederson’s relentlessness and work ethic are traits that would see him fit into this side perfectly. He could be a really nice complement to James Garner, who could sit the deepest and dictate.
Potentially, he and new signing Hayden Hackney could operate as a pair of eights in front of Garner. Or perhaps it could be one or the other with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall playing as a 10.
At the moment, another midfielder is probably not so high on the agenda after the Hackney move. Certainly, a right-back is the most pressing position at the moment.
But if there are movements with the likes of Gueye and Iroegbunam, then Ederson is surely a player Everton need to be looking at.
But Atalanta reportedly do want to hand him a new contract, so speed might be key.
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