Ederson medical failure leaves Man Utd with midfield puzzle Mainoo and Andrey Santos can't solve

Manchester United have pulled the plug on a €40 million move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson after the Brazilian failed his medical, leaving manager Michael Carrick with a familiar headache in the middle of the park. Extensive checks flagged up concerns over the 27-year-old's physical condition, with a troublesome knee believed to be the reason the deal collapsed. insider confirmed: "Atalanta have received a formal communication about the Ederson deal being off. Ederson to Manchester United is not happening. Man Utd wanted to do extra checks on the player and they decided, after several sessions of medical tests, that Ederson had to go back to Italy." The decision represents a major blow to United's summer planning. Ederson was seen as a key addition to a midfield that desperately needed reinforcement after Casemiro left as a free agent and Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury. Although Andrey Santos is on his way from Chelsea to Old Trafford, his skill set does not address the core issue: a lack of mobility in central midfield. That same flaw limited Kobbie Mainoo's minutes under previous manager Ruben Amorim, and Carrick now faces the same problem he tried to manage last season with Casemiro and Mainoo as his double pivot. United remain in the market for a midfielder, but the profile has shifted. Any new arrival must bring insider sourcesism and ground-covering ability that Ederson was supposed to provide, otherwise Carrick risks seeing his side overrun through the middle. With pre-season training at Carrington just days away, the collapse of the Ederson deal leaves a gaping hole in United's plans.