5 months ago
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Atalanta star Ederson admits he is ‘curious’ about the Premier League but does not want to have any distractions ahead of Brazil’s Copa America campaign.
Ederson completed a move from Salernitana to Atalanta in January 2023 and shone in his first full season in Bergamo last term, racking up six goals and an assist in Serie A from defensive midfield.
The Brazilian also played an integral role in the Europa League, with an Ademola Lookman-inspired Atalanta ending Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten streak to get their hands on the trophy last month.
Had it not been for Lookman’s hat-trick heroics, Ederson would have had a strong case for the man-of-the-match award in Dublin and his performances at the heart of Gian Piero Gasperini’s midfield have not gone unnoticed among Europe’s elite.
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus have all been credited with a strong interest in Ederson’s services, while Manchester United and Liverpool also said to be keen on the 24-year-old.
Atalanta have reportedly responded by slapping a €40million (£34m) price tag on Ederson as the club’s hierarchy brace themselves for a possible bidding war this summer.
But Ederson – who made his senior international debut in Brazil’s friendly with Mexico last weekend – remains fully focussed on his country’s forthcoming Copa America campaign.
Asked whether leaving Italy was an option this summer, Ederson told Spanish publication AS: ‘It always happens when the market opens that speculation comes with it, not only about my future, but also for many players.
‘When I received my call, I told my wife and my agents: “Look, now I’m going to the national team, so you have to deal with what comes and what doesn’t come”.
‘Now I’m going to focus on the national team, it’s my first call-up, so I have to be 100 per cent with my head there. And then I will think about my future.’
Ederson added: ‘I am very happy at Atalanta. I just won a great title, I am very well integrated. My future is something that doesn’t worry me.
‘What worries me right now is doing well here with the Brazilian team, leaving a positive impression because it is my first call-up. Making sure everyone knows me here just like everyone knows me in Italy.
‘I am very focused, very happy, trying to make the most of this moment with the national team.’
Asked if he was aware that he was valued as the second-most expensive Brazilian in Serie A, behind Bremer, Ederson replied: ‘I didn’t see that, no.
‘As I have already said, I am not used to following this whole world of transfers. Rumours are one thing that, as my wife and I often say, will always pass.
‘We are calm, happy, we enjoy the moment. If there has to be some kind of change, I trust my agents.
‘I have an agent who has been with me for over 13 years, so the moment he thinks something positive is going to happen, he will tell me and we are in contact about that.
‘We talked a lot about taking advantage of the moment, and right now I’m doing very well at Atalanta. I don’t think this speculation should distract me.
‘If something comes up about a transfer, the club has to accept it first and that is the most important thing. I have a good relationship with Atalanta, so the moment they come and tell me that they have some kind of offer, that will be when the talks start.
‘At the moment, I am an Atalanta player and I am still an Atalanta player. When my time with the national team ends, I will enjoy a short vacation, as it is important to rest, and then I will return to Italy.’
Ederson is unsure which league would best suit his game but is intrigued by the bright lights of the Premier League.
‘I don’t know, I’ve thought about it a lot,’ he continued.
‘I like Italy, I’m well adapted, but I’m curious about the Premier League, so I don’t know.
‘I’m still growing, so I don’t know if I’ll stay in Italy, I think I still have more to prove. If I go somewhere else, then too. I will continue to grow.’
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