Who is Ederson? The Atalanta midfielder linked with a £35m move to Newcastle United

Newcastle United are reportedly considering a £35million move for Atalanta star Ederson.

Reports in midweek claimed Steve Nickson, the Magpies’ Head of Recruitment, watched Atalanta’s 5-0 win over Frosinone. Eddie Howe’s engine room has been bereft of options in recent months due to a string of absentees.

Joe Willock and Sandro Tonali have missed most of the campaign while Joelinton, too, is ruled out until the summer. The Brazilian hobbled off during the 3-0 derby win over Sunderland and requires surgery on a thigh injury.

That leaves Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and youngster Lewis Miley as the only options available - pushing a midfielder further up the wish list. But who exactly is Ederson? Newcastle World has profiled the Atalanta man to assess what he could bring to Howe’s patched-up side. 

Background

Born in Campo Grande, the capital and largest city of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Ederson was picked up by Sao Paulo-based club Desportivo Brasil as a teenage prodigy at 13.

After turning heads as a junior, top-flight outfit Cruzeiro signed him on loan with an option-to-buy clause. It took just five league games for him to make an impressive, with the Serie A club triggering the deal.

A well-travelled road since has seen Ederson play for Brazilian giants Corinthians, Fortaleza and Salernitana before landing his big break at Atalanta. The midfielder earned one cap for his national side at under-20 level.

Playing style

As a central midfielder in Atalanta’s quirky 3-4-3 formation, Ederson provides the link between defence and attack. He is not a “sitter” or a “No.10”, rather, he is an all-round, Jack of all trades for the engine room.

His five league goals this season - which included the second in Monday’s 5-0 rout - is a tidy return. Ederson’s ability to carry the ball forward, as well as technical ability, are billed as his biggest assets.

A scout report prior to his Atalanta move noted how he prefers to progress the ball up the pitch by dribbling rather than playing a killer pass. That is reflected in him registering just one assist across all competitions this season.

Where would he fit in?

As it stands, Ederson would walk straight into Howe’s side given the injury crisis. A lot has been asked of Miley in 2023-24, with most believing his contribution would come in cup competition rather than Champions League ties or Tyne-Wear derbies.

The left of a midfield three, usually filled by the crocked Joelinton, provides the most obvious answer, with Sean Longstaff to the right of the deep-lying Bruno Guimaraes. That would be different to his Atalanta role, however, where he plays as the right-sided midfielder in a two.

Long-term, Ederson would be challenging Tonali, Willock, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Miley and Joelinton for a midfield berth. The thought of fielding three Brazilian midfielders will have Toon fans purring - with St James’ Park already emblazoned with green and yellow flags.

Ederson’s high-intensity game appears tailor-made for Howe, who likes his team to defend from front to back. At £35million, Newcastle would hardly be breaking the bank for a seasoned midfielder, with time on his side and Europa League experience to boot.

What has Ederson said about a move?

Ederson appeared to entertain a move when asked about Juventus links in a recent interview. The 24-year-old highlighted how transfer links point towards him performing well for Atalanta, who sit fifth in Serie A.

"Being looked for by big clubs like Juventus? This is normal when the transfer market opens, for some situations to come up. It happened in Brazil, it happened when I was at Salernitana.

"For me, it's better this way, it means that I'm doing well and that there are many people watching me. It always happens with the market but the most important thing is to do well at Atalanta and I'm doing very well here."