There's been a continued theme in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United, with no manager ever truly managing to build any momentum from one season to the next.

Indeed, Jose Mourinho finished second in 2017/18, only to see things quickly unravel just a matter of months into the following season.

As for his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Norwegian did guide United to third and second in his two full campaigns in charge, before that progress all went up in smoke at the start of 2021/22.

Even a third-place finish under Erik ten Hag couldn't prove to be the springboard for success, the Dutchman stung by a wayward summer of 2023 that saw Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund all arrive at Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick, in charge for just 16 games to date, has started impressively himself, and with the right recruitment, he could well lead the club to sustained improvement next term.

Alongside Ederson: Man Utd expected to seal deal for £87m midfielder

The name on everybody's lips right now is that of Atalanta's Ederson, the Brazilian midfielder - who missed out on Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup squad - appearing to be edging ever closer to an Old Trafford switch.

Reports on Friday indicated that INEOS were confident of making the 26-year-old Carrick's first signing, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

This could just be the first of multiple arrivals at the club, particularly in midfield, with reports in Italy also providing the latest on United's interest in Newcastle United star, Sandro Tonali.

The suggestion is that Carrick has specifically requested the signing of the Magpies man, with Tonali said to have a 'gentleman's agreement' to leave St James' Park, amid the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League.

It is claimed that there is a 'good chance' that a deal to take the 26-year-old to Manchester will go through, even with rivals Manchester City also now in the frame.

The player himself believes he can play more consistently for Carrick's side, perhaps handing INEOS the advantage. Any deal wouldn't come cheap, however, amid talk of a €100m (£87m) price tag.

Those claims happen to be corroborated by Italian journalist Nicholas Ceccarini who says United are 'close to reaching an agreement' with Newcastle for Tonali after talks.

The United hierarchy will no doubt be thankful that there is not even greater need to strengthen in midfield, with Carrick's return to the dugout helping to end any uncertainty over Kobbie Mainoo's future at the club.

Now tied down to a long-term extension, Mainoo - part of Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad - has been front and centre in 2026 so far, starting every game under Carrick, aside from missing the defeat to Leeds United.

It will now be a case of finding a suitable partner for the 21-year-old, ensuring that, for all the talk of two to three midfield signings to bolster the squad, there may actually only be one available slot to fight for in the starting lineup.

If it is to then be a battle between Tonali and Ederson, should both men arrive in the coming weeks, there can arguably only be one winner, with the Newcastle man having already proven himself at Premier League level.

Hailed as being even "better than [Declan] Rice", in the view of club legend Paul Scholes, Tonali has overcome a difficult start on Tyneside to emerge as a key cog in Eddie Howe's midfield machine.

Teammate and talisman, Bruno Guimaraes, may remain the main man, yet Tonali is a force to be reckoned with in his own right, an old-school, old-fashioned style of midfielder who is not necessarily defined to a specific role.

Ederson, who averaged four tackles and interceptions per game in the Champions League this season - ahead of Tonali's return of 2.8 - is a ball-winning monster in his own right, although it is the Italian who perhaps possesses that greater progressive quality in possession.

Indeed, in Europe's premier competition, the £87m-rated star notably averaged 1.5 key passes per game and created three 'big chances'.

For comparison, Ederson averaged just 0.8 key passes and failed to create a single 'big chance' in Bergamo.

There's so much to like about Tonali's game, with the in-demand midfielder also showcasing his ball-striking ability of late, scoring twice against Aston Villa in the FA Cup earlier this season.

He's a powerhouse presence who's already Premier League-ready, ensuring that if he is to join Ederson in Manchester, it could well spell bad news for the Brazilian's hopes of regular game time.