According to reports in Italy, Newcastle United are considering adding Atalanta midfielder Ederson to their shortlist to cover for the absence of Sandro Tonali.
Tonali will be unable to play for Newcastle until next season due to a betting ban. Because they only signed him from AC Milan in the summer, they are considering investing in an immediate replacement at the next opportunity.
There have been links with Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, and further afield, options like Teun Koopmeiners from Atalanta, amid doubts about taking Ruben Neves from fellow PIF-backed side Al Hilal.
Tuttomercatoweb has now revealed that another Atalanta midfielder, Ederson, is also on Newcastle’s radar.
Ederson, not to be confused with Manchester City’s goalkeeper, has been a Serie A player since January 2022, when Salernitana signed him from Corinthians in his native Brazil.
Ederson quickly proved to have a higher ceiling, and after only half a season, he was on the move again, this time to Atalanta.
That season, he appeared in 37 games for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, scoring once. He has five goals in 16 games this season, including participation in the Europa League.
Tuttomercatoweb claims Newcastle would have to offer €40m or more to tempt Atalanta to sell Ederson, who is under contract in Bergamo until 2026.
In other words, if Ederson, who can play in a variety of central midfield roles, is to fill the Tonali-shaped void at Newcastle, the club will have to pay £34.87 million.
According to the report, Atalanta are opposed to selling Ederson unless ‘crazy offers’ come in, which, on the other hand, refers back to the Rasmus Hojlund situation last summer.
They didn’t want to sell their in-demand talent, but Manchester United offered a sum of money that was simply too good to pass up, so Hojlund left.
Ederson would not be as expensive as his former teammate, but Newcastle, or anyone else interested in signing him, would have to make a strong push to persuade Atalanta to sell.
An easier and faster solution would be to sign former Lille midfielder Xeka on a free transfer after TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that they had been offered his services.
Newcastle’s squad is being evaluated.
Newcastle knew that their participation in the Champions League and the frequent games would put them to the test this season.
The Tonali situation, on the other hand, was unexpected and has only added to Eddie Howe’s problems.
Newcastle is seventh in the Premier League table and bottom of their Champions League group heading into the November international break.
Some tensions have begun to emerge at St. James’ Park, so the break may come at an advantageous time.
Another thing that may provide relief for Newcastle as they try to stay on track is the upcoming January transfer window.
