Some may already be concerned about Ederson’s impending contract with Manchester United, but it would be kind of a mistake to judge the midfielder based on just a 10-minute cameo for Brazil.
Players should not be signed based solely on their performance at the World Cup, and players should not be let go for the same reasons. The 26-year-old has only recently been called up to coach Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
Concerns are growing that this will be the case with Manuel Ugarte Mark 2, but confidence in the INEOS regime should increase following evidence of an improved performance in 2025.
Ederson vs Haiti | |
|---|---|
Statistics (*per game) | record |
minutes | 9 |
Pass rate | 100% |
key pass | 0 |
touch | 8 |
ball lost | 1 |
dribble | 0 |
shot | 1 |
won a duel | 0/1 |
tackle | 0 |
dribbled past | 0 |
That said, whatever happens as a result of Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti, United will not be able to go into next season with Ederson as their only midfield player, and further work is already underway in this regard.
Manchester United begin talks over £50m midfield signing
If all goes well, Ederson is set to confirm his £34m move to Old Trafford early next month, likely to be the first move of a busy summer for Michael Carrick’s side.
Matheus Fernandes remains a likely target in midfield after the South American international, but his pursuit has become somewhat more complicated after Tottenham Hotspur joined the race to sign him.
There is also rival interest in West Ham United’s former Real Madrid player, with Jose Mourinho apparently leading the charge in signing his compatriot after his return as Los Blancos manager.
Speaking of Madrid, reports in Spain via journalist Miguel Serrano suggest that United have opened talks with the La Liga side over the contract of Eduardo Camavinga.
INEOS are said to have inquired about the Frenchman’s situation and the potential terms of his contract, while Juventus are said to have also made inquiries of their own.
The Spanish giants are no longer opposed to the idea of selling the 23-year-old with a €60m (£50m) price tag.
Why Camavinga could be an immediate upgrade over Ederson
As already mentioned, we shouldn’t read too much into Ederson’s short stint as a substitute for his country, but he doesn’t seem set to emerge as Casemiro’s perfect successor at Old Trafford.
He was initially not selected by manager Ancelotti over the aging pair of Casemiro and Fabinho, but the situation may be sounding the alarm again in Manchester.
Ederson, who will turn 27 next month, cannot be called a long-term contract with an eye on the future. With a lack of midfield options at Carrick’s disposal, INEOS need him to be an immediate force.
If Camavinga follows him to the Theater of Dreams, his hopes of joining Koby Mainu on a permanent basis could well be dashed, but the £50m-rated playmaker is such an exciting and outstanding talent.
During his time at Stade Rene, he was hinted by his agent Jonathan Barnett that he would be the best midfielder in the world, but things have not been smooth sailing since then, as his omission from France’s World Cup squad highlights.
That said, at just 23 years old, Camavinga has plenty of time to get back on track, and analyst Spencer Mossman says the player is a “monster” at his best.
It has been a difficult season for the Bernabéu left-footer, both personally and collectively. Although he was limited to just 16 starts in La Liga, there is a lot to like about what he offers both in and out of possession.
On the ball, he is a real midfield metronome, the type of player who can dictate the flow of a match. In fact, his passing accuracy of 92% last season was comfortably higher than Ederson’s own Serie A average of 89%.
He lost the ball just 4.8 times per game, was dribbled past just 0.5 times per game, and had few glaring weaknesses in this pivot role.
For comparison, Ederson wasted possession 7.8 times per game, but was dribbled through 0.6 times per game.
Camavinga also boasts the advantage of having already enjoyed impressive results at a historic and truly elite club, having won the Champions League twice.
Similarly, the versatile talent, who can also play at left-back, would be a more natural number six in a trade, while Ederson is more of an all-action, box-to-box option, with Camavinga arguably a better fit for Mainu if the Englishman thrives in a more advanced number eight position.
Ederson will probably surprise some people next season, but the truth is that the marquee signing will be for Madrid’s starlet.
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