Man Utd keen to sign “world's most powerful DM”

“Tell them I'll fix it”. Those were Casemiro's words to his agent, the Brazilian watching as Manchester United sank to their post-Sir Alex Ferguson nadir at Brentford.

There was no bruised ego because Erik ten Hag had not been first choice that summer, after a long pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, the £70m man was forced to wait until October to make his Premier League debut.

From his first goal at Stamford Bridge, and the passionate, chest-beating celebration that followed, Casemiro's dedication to the cause was unquestionable, and he is now enjoying a farewell tour between his final games at Old Trafford.

In both boxes, the 34-year-old will leave a huge void to be filled next summer, as potential replacements in that midfield department will be considered.

Man Utd are interested in signing Casemiro instead of Serie A

'Another year, Casemiro' continues to ring in the Theater of Dreams, although the former Real Madrid man has made it clear again this week that the decision is final, with just three games left in a United shirt.

In terms of finding a suitable replacement, it's no secret that Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is a top target, although rivals Manchester City are leading the race for the £120m sensation.

With two central midfielders likely to be needed, depending on Manuel Ugarte's future, INEOS appear unable to afford such a fee, confirming that a cheaper replacement for Casemiro could be on the cards.

Indeed, as reported by TuttoAtalanta, the Old Trafford side are believed to be favorites to sign another Brazilian, Ederson, from Atalanta this summer.

The report suggests the 26-year-old is set to bid farewell to Serie A at the end of the season, with United said to be 'clearly ahead' of Atletico Madrid in the race for his signature.

This comes following previous reports which suggested the former Salernitana man could be acquired for around £42m, with a year left to run on his current deal.

How does Ederson compare to Casemiro in his prime

Now up to nine Premier League goals in 2025/26, Casemiro is enjoying his best season in Manchester, having enjoyed a real renaissance following a difficult spell in the final days of the Ten Hag.

Despite all his importance, it is important to remember that United have never really seen the South American in his prime, having claimed five Champions League titles in Madrid, emerging as Europe's best defensive midfielder for a while.

Alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, he held it all together at the Bernabeu, a monster-winner who allowed the club's attacking talent to flourish before him.

Ederson, while not operating at the highest level of the European game, fits into that bracket, having been hailed as “the most powerful midfielder in the world” by Damiano Er Faina.

Such praise is paying off, with the in-demand talent enjoying another fine season in Italy, averaging 2.8 tackles and blocks per game in Serie A, while averaging 4.5 clearances per game.

With a pass accuracy rate of 89% to boot, Ederson keeps things neat and tidy in the middle of the park, doing the dirty work in an almost invisible way at Bergamo.

Like the ever-improving Casemiro, he is no easy man to walk around, having been hit 0.6 times per game so far this season, while making just 1.2 mistakes on average.

He's tireless without being reckless, as he's been ejected just once in 178 games for Atlanta so far, and that wasn't a straight red.

Casemiro, for context, was only sent off twice in Madrid, never receiving a straight red before joining United.

In the last man's last campaign with Los Blancos, in 2021/22, his record did not differ much from that of Ederson, as he averaged 3.7 tackles and interceptions, while boasting an accuracy rate of 86%.

Like Ederson – who has scored one league goal all season – Casemiro was not a Manchester goalscoring sensation, having finished that campaign with just one LaLiga goal.

In terms of veterans, he was something of an unsung hero in Madrid who emerged as an almost talismanic figure in Manchester. Is Ederson on track to do the same?