Arsenal have been handed a boost in signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with Atletico Madrid turning their attention to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes.
The Gunners could enter the transfer market for a new midfielder this summer, and it has previously been reported that they could compete with Atletico for Ederson.
They have now been handed a big boost with Diego Simeone’s side pulling out of the race.
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Atletico don’t want to pay £39 million for the 26-year-old whose contract expires in June next year.
Manchester Evening News have now revealed that Atletico are ‘expected’ to sign Gomes from Wolves instead. They are in advanced talks for the player.
In our view, the Gunners now have the door open to complete a deal for Ederson.
Ederson could be signed as Norgaard’s replacement
The Gunners signed Norgaard from Brentford in a deal worth £15m last summer. The Dane has been a fringe player with less than 60 minutes of league action.
Manager Mikel Arteta has benched Martin Zubimendi for the last three matches, but it has been Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has got the nod to partner Declan Rice in the heart of the midfield.
It is quite clear that the manager does not trust Norgaard enough, despite his good track record at Brentford. We won’t be surprised if he heads through the exit door this summer.
Ederson would be a superb replacement and could provide fierce competition for a starting spot.
The 26-year-old has had a brilliant individual season at Atalanta. He has completed 89 percent of his passes in Serie A, while winning an average of five duels alongside four recoveries per game.
The former Salernitana man has also won two tackles per outing. He also possesses good ball control, losing possession on fewer than eight occasions per league appearance for Atalanta.
At 26, Ederson is at the prime phase of his career and would be a bargain signing at £39m. The Gunners may negotiate a lower fixed fee, with easy performance add-ons covering the remainder.
United are likewise keen on landing the highly-rated midfielder. The Gunners must be proactive to beat the Red Devils in the pursuit of Ederson, who appears open to a move to English football.
Stats from Sofascore