Five Premier League clubs want Camavinga clone: Man Utd and Arsenal lead chase for €40m star

Robin Bairner

• 21 Feb 2024 02:38 CST
• 12 min read

Manchester United and Arsenal are among five Premier League clubs tracking the progress of a defensive midfielder who could be a lynchpin of their sides for years to come.

Atalanta midfielder Ederson may not be a blockbuster name, yet he has quietly been performing to an excellent standard in Serie A, attracting interest from Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham and Liverpool.

After a slow start in Italy following a €22 million move from Salernitana in July 2022, the Brazilian has emerged this term as one of the leading midfield players in Italy’s top flight and, at 24, is regarded as one of the most promising players in his position in the world.

Atalanta are seeking to start the bidding at €40m, Gazzetta dello Sport reports, yet this is unlikely to put suitors from England off.

What’s the excitement over Ederson?

Ederson is similar in style to Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, according to data analytics firm SciSports. There is more than a 90% similarity in the way the two stars play, the experts report.

Furthermore, there are elements of Dominik Szoboszlai, Gavi and Sandro Tonali in his game.

But simply playing like these players is no use if the quality is not there. Ederson, though, has been one of the best midfielders in Serie A this season, performing to a standard similar to AC Milan’s Tijani Reijnders, who is a player FootballTransfers exclusively revealed Man Utd are interested in.

What’s more, SciSports reports that Ederson’s SciSkill score, which is based on hundreds of in-game data points, has shown rapid development in the last six months.

Although the Brazilian’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands only at €21.4m, well below Atalanta’s expected asking price, its rapid rise still suggests a player on the up.

But where is he best suited to move to?

That depends on Ederson’s goals.

SciSports believes that he has his best chance to develop his game at Arsenal but only has the capacity to become a rotation player at the Emirates Stadium. Similarly, he is unlikely to break into the Liverpool team.

He could, however, become a regular at Man Utd, Newcastle or Tottenham.

And it is Man Utd who get the nod from SciSports via their Career Advice tool, which gives the Old Trafford side an outstanding score of 76 – the best of any club aside from his current employers.

United would be an even stronger option for him if their playing style and formation were to change, which could happen in the summer depending on the future of Erik ten Hag.

With so much Premier League interest, though, this is an exciting time for Ederson.