The £46m midfielder who will bring boundless energy to Man Utd – and whether he’s worth the money

It’s been a busy weekend at Old Trafford. No sooner have Manchester United confirmed the permanent appointment of Michael Carrick than they seem to be on the brink of completing their first signing of the summer as well, with widespread reports suggesting that they’re closing in on a deal for Atalanta midfielder Éderson.

Reports from a number of media outlets (including The Metro) suggest that the 26-year-old Brazil international will join United for a fee of €48m (£41.5m) plus a potential €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons. But just how good is Éderson, how will he fit into Carrick’s system, and will he be worth the money?

Endless energy and power to burn – what Éderson will bring to Manchester United

A box-to-box midfielder who has been a regular for Atalanta since moving to Bergamo four years ago, Éderson has earned a justified reputation in Italy for his work rate and ferocity in midfield.

A destructive force off the ball, Éderson covers huge swathes of space looking for opposing players to harass and fires to put out, performing a role which isn’t dissimilar to that played by N’golo Kanté for Leicester City and Chelsea in the past. He is prepared to run himself into the ground, and has the fitness and energy to back it up.

Strong and well-built, he’s effective in one-on-one situations, puts in a high volume of tackles and forces an impressively high volume of turnovers. A relatively high number of fouls is the somewhat inevitable trade-off given his playing style, but the good work he does in defence in Serie A strongly outweighs the bad.

He backs his work out of possession up with driving forward carries, accurate passing – including over distance – and is particularly effective at sparking counter-attacks quickly after winning the ball back. He’s a dynamic presence in midfield as well as a determined one.

Despite his ability to progress play at pace, he isn’t especially effective in his own right in the final third – he has scored two goals in the Italian top flight from an xG of 4.36 this season and has just one assist, although he did score 12 goals in all competitions over the past two seasons. Still, he’s not a natural finisher, and nor is he a genuine creative presence.

Éderson, who has three international caps to his name but who was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the World Cup, has the ability to replicate a lot of his compatriot Casemiro’s work in midfield, but won’t take up much of the playmaking slack from Bruno Fernandes – but he should win possession often enough, and use it well enough, to provide a strong base for the forwards to build on.

How Éderson fits into Michael Carrick’s system – and whether he can play with Kobbie Mainoo

While he’s a highly effective defensive shield, Éderson is not a player who typically prioritises positional discipline and is generally best used either in a double pivot or alongside a natural anchoring midfielder who is prepared to plug the gaps that the Brazilian will leave in his wake when he surges about the field looking for ways to get himself involved.

That’s a profile Manchester United have been looking for (Carlos Baleba, also on the club’s radar, is another point of reference) but also one which could create an interesting balancing act in the squad. It’s not clear whether a midfield pairing of Éderson and Kobbie Mainoo would have the right balance.

One of the key things that Carrick worked out after taking interim charge was that Mainoo is at his best when played alongside a more static holding midfielder – Casemiro in this case – and given more positional freedom of his own and license to operate in more advanced areas.

Éderson, however, is another player who is at his best alongside a disciplined midfielder who can provide cover and that right to roam around. Mainoo did look decent enough in a more traditional double pivot next to Mason Mount in the recent 0-0 draw with Sunderland and can certainly play the role, but it’s debatable whether it truly plays into the youngster’s greatest strengths.

Both Mainoo and Éderson would probably benefit from the addition of a more traditional defensive midfielder to play alongside them, and with United returning to the Champions League there was a clear need to add another player who can operate in Mainoo’s position anyway, given that one player could hardly be expected to play there in every match. But there’s a risk that either Carrick is forced into an either-or situation with two of his best midfielders, or that he plays both and risks running with a positionally febrile pairing in front of his back four.

Fortunately, Manchester United are in the market for at least one more midfielder, and further signings could ameliorate those concerns. If used correctly and assuming he settles in suitably well, then Éderson should not only provide strong protection for the defence but also a strong bridge between defence and attack, helping to keep the forwards connected and avoiding situations in which they become isolated from play.

Plenty of fine players have moved to Manchester United and struggled in recent seasons, and the success or failure of new signings like Éderson will hinge not only on themselves but also on whether Carrick has successfully detoxified the dressing room – but on paper, Éderson has the right attitude and attributes to be a hit at Old Trafford rather than another Manuel Ugarte. The price seems reasonable in the current market, and bringing him in has the potential to be a good piece of business if Carrick can figure out how to work him into the team.